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Golden Gate Fire Commission considers leasing cell tower revenue stream to company
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The Golden Gate Fire Commission had money on the mind Wednesday night — how to make money and how to redistribute it.
Fire commissioners heard a presentation from California-based Wireless Capital Partners, or WCP.
The company is offering the Golden Gate Fire Control and Rescue District between $1 million and $1.4 million to buy the revenue stream from the two cellular phone towers on district property.
Golden Gate owns the cell tower at station 71, and partly owns the tower at Station 70.
“We’re ‘purchasing’ a real estate interest,” said, Jeff Mulrennan with WCP, during a presentation explaining what the contract would mean for the district.
The company would receive the tower’s revenue for a specific amount of time, ranging from 15 to 40 years.
Golden Gate Fire Chief Robert Metzger said the district’s administration felt an obligation to bring the proposal to the commission.
“It may not be right for everybody, but it’s an opportunity to consider,” said Metzger. “This district has experienced some financial difficulties in the past.”
However, Metzger told commissioners that staff was split on whether or not the proposal would be good for the district.
“We have debated the issue, in staff, at length,” Metzger said.
The advantage of accepting the proposal, said Metzger in a memo, would be that the district would have a significant amount of revenue immediately. The disadvantage, Metzger wrote, would be that the board in essence would be signing away access to projected revenue amounts greater than the sum WCP proposed.
“I wish I could come to you with an overwriting recommendation from staff on this one ... I can’t,” he said.
Instead of making a final decision, the commission unanimously decided to consider the offer, but to first have the administration and an attorney review the contract before the commission makes a final decision.
“Then come back to us, with some time,” said fire commissioner Rob Stoneburner. “Give us a contract, a legal rendering, and then we could take a look at it.”
In other action, commissioners also voted to change the district’s command structure slightly and create an additional assistant chief position, which will be filled by Deputy Chief Nolan Sapp.
“It allows (Assistant Chief Dave Anderson) to focus more of his energy and time on his responsibilities,” Metzger said. “Second, it allows for Chief Sapp to be more responsible for the areas of operations.”
Commissioners also voted to create a new secretary position.
Funding for the new jobs will come from the vacant deputy position and a receptionist position, neither of which will be filled.
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