Airport board talks leases

Heated discussion continued after the Airport Board chairman adjourned a workshop Monday.

The Airport Board called the workshop meeting to reveal proposed changes in the new private lease agreement between hanger owners and the town of Saratoga, but discussion, after about two hours, veered toward subleases.

“I have three people in this room that would like to rent my hanger,” said Saratoga resident and hanger owner David Worthington in the meeting. But he does not want to pay the same as other hanger owners at Shively Field who have bigger hangers.

The airport currently charges a flat rate of $100 per month for sublease agreements. Worthington said that means he pays 67 cents per square foot, where as owners of bigger hangers would pay less per square foot.

“I am not going to pay 67 cents a square foot,” Worthington said.

Airport Board Chairman Lee Tromble closed the meeting after Airport Board members addressed some of Worthington’s concerns, but Worthington said he had more questions for the board. After a short pause, the town’s attorney Tom Thompson, who was present at the workshop meeting to help with the lease draft process, asked Worthington what other questions he had. Worthington continued the discussion talking about sublease issues and the Brush Creek hanger, which Worthington said never had a lease.

Thompson said Worthington was right, and the Brush Creek hanger never had a lease.

“Not a spade of dirt should have been turned before they had a lease,” Worthington said.

Discussion ended a few minutes after Tromble adjourned. No formal action was taken.

Prior to addressing some of Worthington’s concerns, the Airport Board read through the entire lease, while highlighting some proposed changes. The board proposed changes in several areas, including the annual cost of the lease, the length of the lease and a provision in the lease regarding personal storage of items in hangers.

The board proposed changing leases to a 20 year lease.

As Tromble read the lease, he said the board wanted to remove the paragraph on personal storage in hangers because personal storage goes against FFA regulation. Tromble said, according to conversations he had with an FFA official, FFA standards prohibit storage of items in hangers not aircraft related.

Board member Mike Patterson said, removing the paragraph would mean the town was no longer condoning the storage of personal items in hangers.

The board also discussed raising the yearly fee for private leases. Currently, lease owners pay either $200 or 7 cents a square foot, whichever is greater, annually to utilize airport space. The Airport Board suggested raising that to $300 or 10 cents a square foot, whichever is greater. Also, the board proposed adding a 3 percent increase per year, or adjusted yearly in an amount according to the State of Wyoming Department of Administrative Information, whichever is greater. Tromble said the increase was ideal for long-term leases.

The board also discussed making leases end and start on the same day. Town Clerk Suzie Cox said that would make keeping track of leases easier, but board member Jack Sintek said he was concerned making the change would not be consumer-friendly.

Thompson said he would have a draft lease including the proposed changes at the next Airport Board meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday.