Business View Magazine l October 2022

237 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 10 infrastructure law, and over the next five years, we will receive $295,000 per year dedicated to infrastructure improvements. This is year two of that grant, and we have decided to use this year to focus on improving improve our security systems. After that we’re going to improve our tie downs so we can accommodate more aircraft.” Another goal they are working towards has to do with an increase in charter jets operations. Williams adds, “We are looking at investing in ground power units (GPUs) and lavatory units – those are the units that service the chartered and private jet aircraft. It is part of an overall strategy to make more room and make us better able to service these high-end aircraft. One thing I am working hard to ensure is that we are more than just a fenced-in area for takeoffs and landings. So we have constantly been making capital improvements, while also seeking to bring to the field as much diversity as possible. We want to be constantly reaching out, whether it is through fourth-grade field trips, “Kids Fly Free” car shows, and Airport Open House on the field.” The airport team reaches out to businesses constantly, and the scope of what they are looking at changes constantly. For instance, they want to begin working with more of the companies involved in Urban Air Mobility testing and bring as much innovation as they can into the airport’s offerings. According to Williams, “Safety, Service, and Self-Sustainability… I tell every employee that this is the mantra of Watsonville Airport. And by focusing on those three key things, we are building into the future. Safe because we live in the land of spinning props and rotors, so we need to be safe. We simply have to be service oriented. We’re not here to serve ourselves, we’re here to serve the flying public. So, we seek out creative ways to get things done. We are open seven days a week, so we created two teams, the SUN team works Sunday to Thursday and the SAT team works Tuesday to Saturday. That allows us WATSONV I LLE MUNI C I PAL A I RPORT