Business View Magazine | February 2019

94 ning stages.We also have an existing tenant con- templating building another 15 hangars that will cater to the smaller general aviation market. So,we continue to plan, but we are not into the develop- ment phase just yet. “Amajor factor to all of this has been the city’s de- velopment fee structure.As an example, a seven to ten thousand square feet hangar,which would be a four or five hundred thousand dollar investment in the shell, itself,would be charged $110,000 in development fees.The City Council recognized the problem and adopted a reduced fee schedule.The $110,000 in fees dropped to $23,000,which was an effort on the city’s part to try to promote and support the development.This action has been very well received by the development community.” BVM: What about general airport maintenance or infrastructure improvements? Oxborrow: “We have worked through the FAA grant funding process for a number of years to try to fund an essential access road on one side of the field but have fallen short of the required priority rating procedure.This effort has also caused us to neglect some of our routine maintenance projects.We have recently elected to seek funding for the access road elsewhere and focus more directly on the specific needs of the aircraft operating areas.Our increase in traffic has resulted in an increased need for air- craft staging and parking in the terminal area. “It is not uncommon for a half-dozen corporate jets to need to park on the ramp, another dozen General Aviation aircraft to need parking for the day and then either military or firefighting aircraft to need space.The large helicopters (and the occasional V-22 Osprey) require the most apron space. “So,we’re trying to look at those types of operation- al needs, now-expand the apron area, expand the helipad parking areas to provide more room.This expansion has become our first priority right now. Following close behind,we’ll have some routine maintenance–redo a 25 or 30-year-old lighting system and get it up to today’s standards, and then put a new seal coat on the back runway.The intent is to keep our efforts minimal; I don’t need more and more infrastructure to try and maintain.” BVM: Any other projects or initiatives that you would want our readers to knowabout? Oxborrow: “We want to promote the Airport, so we’re trying to work in concert with the local busi- ness community, the City Council, the Airport Com- mission, and the Chamber of Commerce, to support the tourist trade, business development, and our local industry.We want people to knowwhat tre- mendous potential we have here. “We also have some older, retired pilots who have