DATE: 05/06/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Honorable President and Board Members
FROM: Utilities Department
2026-163
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AND
CORONA UTILITY AUTHORITY ACTION
SUBJECT:
REQUEST TO WAIVE LICENSE PAYMENTS FOR COMMUNICATIONS SITE LICENSE
AGREEMENT WITH WESTERN MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report requests that the City Council approve the request to waive standard license payments under the Communication Site License Agreement with Western Municipal Water District (WMWD) at the City-owned Grape Hill communication site.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council approve the request to waive the standard license payments under the Communication Site License Agreement with Western Municipal Water District for the installation of radio communication equipment at the Grape Hill communication site.
That the Corona Utility Authority review, ratify, and to the extent necessary, direct that the City Council take the above actions.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The City owns property located at 742 John Circle (Assessor’s Parcel Number 115-100- 047-1) (“City Property”) generally referred to as Grape Hill. Currently, there are two 60- foot self-supporting lattice structures used at this site for telecommunications purposes.
The City has, at times, granted access to these facilities at no cost in an effort to support mutual aid and regional efforts of collaboration. An example of this would include the Communications Site License Agreement with the City of Riverside approved in 2013.
Western Riverside County Regional Wastewater Authority (WRCRWA) is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) consisting of the cities of Norco, Corona, Jurupa Community Services District, Home Gardens Sanitary District, and Western Municipal Water District (WMWD).
WRCRWA has a capacity to treat 14 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater and is operated by WMWD staff on behalf of the member agencies. As part of ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency and data integration, WMWD proposed installing radio equipment on the Grape Hill Tower rather than purchasing land and building a new tower.
This installation will enable real-time data transmission from WRCRWA to WMWD operations center located near Lake Mathews, thereby supporting improved coordination, system reliability and operational control.
The installation of WRCRWA communications equipment promotes regional collaboration and infrastructure optimization while also supporting the City of Corona and other member agencies with reliable treatment of wastewater.
ANALYSIS:
The City’s Cell Site License Agreement Consideration Parameters Policy (Administration Policy No. 05200.01) establishes consideration parameters for traditional cell sites license agreements or amendments to existing communication site license agreements. The City Manager is authorized to enter into communication site license agreements that are consistent with the Policy. The Policy provides that a minimum license payment of $31,680 per year is required for a license that requires up to 500 square feet of land. For this request, the Utilities Department would be responsible for approximately 19% of the annual license payment due to the participation in WRCRWA. WMWD will be installing their radio antennas on the existing Utilities tower and other ancillary radio equipment in the existing building without occupying any additional land.
The waiver of the annual license payment would:
Support regional data sharing and operational coordination. Reinforce the City’s commitment to WRCRWA and its member agencies. Avoid unnecessary financial burden on partner agencies working toward shared infrastructure goals and benefits for our communities.
Recent WRCRWA Board meetings and internal budget discussions have emphasized the importance of interagency collaboration and cost-effective solutions. The proposed waiver aligns with these priorities.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with the approval of the recommended actions, as the fees have not historically been collected. Establishing such charges could discourage participation or result in relocation of equipment, limiting opportunities for regional coordination and collaboration. The proposed approach supports enhanced regional data integration and operational efficiency.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action merely authorizes the waiver of a license payment for the installation of communication facilities on City land and there is no possibility that this action will have a significant effect on the environment. Additionally, the installation of the communication facilities on the Grape Hill Tower is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15303 of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures and the installation of small new equipment and facilities in small structures is exempt from CEQA.
The communication site license agreement with WMWD would permit the installation of small facilities on existing infrastructure. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: AFTAB HUSSAIN, ASSISTANT UTILITIES DIRECTOR REVIEWED BY: TOM MOODY, UTILITIES DIRECTOR
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Administrative Policy No. 05200.001
2. Exhibit 2 – Communications Site License Agreement with City of Riverside