Township, county agree to cell tower lease
By Lisa Brody
Bloomfield Township Trustees on Monday, January 24, unanimously agreed to amending a long- term agreement between Bloomfield Township and Oakland County that permits the county to lease a cell tower from the township for new public safety broadcast equipment.
Township attorney Derk Beckerleg explained that in 2004, Oakland County built a 220-foot tall cell tower at Exeter and Andover roads on the Bloomfield Township campus to operate a countywide public safety radio system. Upon completion of the tower construction and final acceptance of the tower, ownership of the tower was transferred from Oakland County to Bloomfield Township in exchange for lease space on the tower for the county' s equipment for $1.
“As a result of that transaction, the county and township in 2004 entered into a lease agreement for a 15-year term ending in 2019, with three additional terms of five years each,” Beckerleg explained. “Currently, the county is installing a new countywide public safety communications system to be integrated into the Michigan Public Safety Radio Communications System, and they are switching over to a Motorola system that will benefit the township.”
Beckerlegg said that along with the new system, the county is also adding other equipment so Oakland officials are seeking to extend the lease to December 31, 2037.
Beckerleg said this necessitates the township and county to enter into a new amendment to the original agreement. This is the second amendment. He said the Oakland County Board of Commissioners approved the amendment agreement on September 2, 2021.
Township trustees unanimously approved the amendment.