TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the Lease and Use Agreement for Radio Antennas on City-Owned Property Between the City of North Port and Community Broadband Radio Association, Inc. for Space at the Public Works Administration Building and City Hall
Recommended Action
Approve the Lease and Use Agreement for Radio Antennas on City-Owned Property between the City of North Port and Community Broadband Radio Association, Inc. for space at the Public Works Administration Building and City Hall.
Background Information
Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28, 2022. This emergency event caused significant damage to the area and disabled communication services. The City was extremely limited in its ability to communicate essential messages to the community regarding the response to the emergency, transportation network issues, and locations where vital services were available. Post-event evaluations underscored the importance of communication redundancy, highlighting the untapped avenue of community radio.
Community Broadband Radio Association, Inc. operates as WKDW 97.5 serving the North Port Community and surrounding areas via radio waves and streaming online at WKDW975fm.com. This agreement allows Community Broadband Radio Association, Inc. space at Public Works Administration facility to install a telescoping antenna with space inside the building for operating equipment. In addition, this agreement allows the installation of a smaller, secondary antenna on the roof at City Hall with the same inside space for operating equipment. WKDW will operate remotely from their offices or ancillary locations during normal conditions. During an emergency event, trained and approved City of North Port staff will have unlimited access to provide critical information to the community via a computer / smartphone application.
The agreement is for an initial five (5) year p...
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