Tower negotiations continue

Nick Johansen

The Red Oak Express

The Montgomery County Emergency Management Commission is continuing negotiations for a lease agreement with Hawkeye Communications/KCSI for a rental fee on KCSI’s tower.

Discussions on the rental fee began at the EMA Commission meeting Dec. 20. At that meeting, EMA coordinator Brian Hamman outlined the details of the rental agreement. A contract was drafted in 2016, for a payment of $500 a month for the year of 2016, for housing one of the county’s emergency communication towers.

The contract included a stipulation that if the county continued possession beyond the term of the lease, there would be a month-to-month extension of the lease, at a rental fee of $500 a month, which is currently in place now.

Hamman said at the Dec. 20 meeting that every year at budget time he has reached out to KCSI asking if there are any changes to the agreement, and that if an increase was requested, notice needed to be given in December of the current year. Last month, when Hamman contacted KCSI, general manager Aaron West offered two options to the county: option one was a year-to-year option at $1,000 per month. Option two was a two-year-contract at $750 per month. West indicated he wanted a new contract drawn up choosing option one or two by Feb 1, 2019.

Hamman contacted West and said there was an issue with the rent being more than the current $500, at least until July 1, as the county EMA runs on a fiscal calendar year and the budget is set. An increase would require a budget amendment. The commission advised Hamman go back to West and propose leaving the payment at $500 until July 1, and then agree to $1,000 per month until they no longer need to use the location, on a month-to-month basis.

At the EMA commission meeting Jan. 10, Hamman said he had received a response from KCSI with another counteroffer to the EMA Commission.

“It would continue at the rate of $500 per month through June 30, 2019. They then want monthly payments of $1,500 per month for a term of July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020, month to month at $1,500 until a new contract is in place for up to 6 months after the initial contract ends,” Hamman said.

Hamman added there would be no early opt-outs if the new tower was built before the end of the contract term on June 30, 2020. Hamman said options were limited.

“Unfortunately, we don’t really have any options. We got prices to move the equipment when all this started about four years ago, and it was roughly $15,000 just to move it. There’s always an unknown as to whether we can find another spot for it to work,” commented Hamman.

The timetable for the new emergency communications system being online, or close to it, was in February or March of 202o, at which time the equipment on the KCSI tower would no longer be removed, and would be removed.

Jon Spunaugle, representing the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office on the commission, suggested one other counteroffer be made to KCSI.

“We agree to the $1,500 a month, but say we want a six-month contract rather than a 12-month contract, and go month-to-month after the six month contract expires,” said Spunaugle.

Hamman agreed that he would prefer not to sign a contract for July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020, as they would then be paying an additional four to six months on space that was no longer being used for the emergency communications system.

Brad Wright, representing the City of Red Oak, was in favor of some sort of provision, either six, or potentially nine months in the contract so as to save funds.

“We should see if there’s an agreement on an early opt-out, because we want to avoid spending taxpayer dollars on something that we may no longer be using at that point,” commented Wright.

The commission was in agreement to submit an offer to agree to the terms, with a stipulation for an opt-out of the contract after 9 months.