Roswell council approves airport commercial‑use application amid debate over $300 fee and legacy subletting

The Roswell City Council voted on Wednesday to advance a commercial‑operations application process for businesses at the Roswell Air Center after a lengthy discussion about a proposed $300 application fee and long‑standing subletting issues.

Airport manager Chelsea Thompson (presented in the meeting as Miss Thompson) told councilors the fee is intended to recover staff time and technical review required by aviation operations and environmental rules, including Federal Aviation Administration and Environmental Protection Agency obligations. “This, by contrast, we will be looking for applicable part … page 5 of your packet, you'll see the airframe and power plant maintenance, aircraft rental, avionics sales and maintenance, tankers storage, aircraft sales. These all have particularized … requirements for EPA, FAA, and on occasion TSA,” Thompson said.

Council debate focused on whether $300 was an appropriate application fee for businesses. One councilor proposed an amendment to lower the application fee; the council held a roll call on the amendment and the change failed by a vote of 8 against, 1 in favor. A legal committee member said the airport manager’s recommendation had passed the legal committee 5–0.

Why it matters: city staff said the airport has a legacy of long term leases that allowed subletting without notifying the city, creating situations in which people operate aviation businesses on city‑controlled property without the city or property owner knowing key regulatory, insurance and environmental details. Councilors were told at least eight long‑term leases predate current lease standards and the city is phasing older leases out as they are renewed.

Public‑safety and environmental context: councilors and staff raised contamination and safety concerns at the Air Center, including a past site fire and existing PFAS contamination that complicates emergency response and property management. Staff said a formal application process helps ensure tenants hold required insurance and follow safe disposal and operations practices.

Decision and next steps: the council approved the commercial‑operation application process and retained the $300 application fee after the failed amendment. Staff will continue implementation of the application process and will include verification steps for tenant insurance, environmental compliance and applicable FAA/TSA requirements; councilors may consider fee adjustments in future budget or ordinance actions.

Ending: Council members urged staff to provide further detail to the council about how the application will be implemented and how the city will bring older leases into current standards.