After more than a year of back-and-forth negotiations and delays, the ink is now dry on a lease agreement before the Sedona Fire District and the Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority.
The lease agreement, which was signed by both parties and approved by the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors — which owns the airport land that the SOCAA manages — on Wednesday, July 21, is for a cell tower that is owned by the fire district sitting on airport property.
“I believe all parties have arrived at a fair and reasonable agreement,” Airport Manager Ed Rose said. “My thanks to Chief Jon Trautwein, the Sedona Fire Board, Jack Fields and the Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority Board for their efforts in marshalling the lease through the process.”
The agreement states that its purpose is, “To permit SFD to operate a communications tower primarily to fulfill the need for … emergency medical communications for Sedona and the surrounding communities, including the Sedona Airport.”
This lease replaces one that technically expired in fall of last year. The new lease is for 10 years and states that beginning back on Oct. 1, 2020, the lease is for $1,000 a month for the first year. In the second, third and fourth years of the contract that amount increases to $1,500 a month. Finally, for the remaining five years of the contract, the district will pay $2,000 a month to the airport. That equates to $213,000 over the 10-year contract.
Trautwein said with this agreement, the district is leasing the county-owned land, although the district owns the tower, building, equipment and provides the repair/maintenance while incurring 100% of the cost.
“We have had an agreement for this site with the airport for over 30 years,” he said. “The biggest change is that the district is now paying to lease the land. In the past, the lease of the land was at virtually no cost and the district provided all hazard fire protection to the airport at no cost in reciprocation.”
He added, “We are glad that we have reached an agreement and the district will continue to focus on providing exceptional service and keeping this community safe.”
The tower in question sits on the north side of the airport. There are six entities that lease space and pay SFD. They include Sedona Internet Services, TPT SpeedConnect, Taurus Technology Investment Partners, Commspeed, Sedona Police Department and the city of Sedona IT department. Each has to meet regulations set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications Commission.
As of late last year, SFD was receiving $2,346.19 a month for “cost recovery” from these entities on their tower.
“It should be noted that 100% of the investment, variable cost and day-to-day operating cost at the airport tower is Sedona Fire District,” he said at the time. “It should also be noted that we budget over $1 million a year for our entire telecommunications expenses in the district.
“Another value to the airport is that we provide all hazard fire protection service to the airport for free. As you can imagine, this is significant and will have to be evaluated.”
In 2019, the SFD received roughly $200,000 in “communications rents” from its various towers throughout the district.
