Spanish Fork airport landing fees bring early revenue and spur board-structure changes discussion

Spanish Fork city staff reported Aug. 19 that two weeks of landing fees at the Spanish Fork Municipal Airport generated roughly $5,000 and coincided with an 18.5% decline in operations; councilors used the meeting to discuss proposed changes to the airport board—s composition and duties. The council heard that fees were assessed by aircraft weight categories and that the first two weeks produced about $3,800 from light general-aviation aircraft (under 5,000 pounds), about $295 from medium aircraft (5,000–12,500 pounds) and roughly $1,100 from larger aircraft, for a total near $5,000. Christian G. Anderson, airport staff, said over 90% of operations at the field are touch-and-go training flights and that staff expects more detailed operational data at the end of the first full month of implementation. Staff also reported a roughly 18.5% decrease in operations in the two-week period after fees began Aug. 1. Anderson said the reduced operations are an expected side effect and will provide better data about who uses the field. Council members framed the fee as shifting costs to users rather than general taxpayers; one council member estimated landing-fee revenue potential in the six-figure range annually as a rationale for reinvestment in airport infrastructure. Councilors then discussed three possible code changes to the airport board. Staff said 12% of the airport—s 134 hangars are owned by Spanish Fork residents, shrinking the local resident candidate pool for the advisory board as hangars fill. The proposals under discussion included: (1) two city council members, the public-works director and four airport patrons within 25 miles; (2) two council members, a public-works alternate, and five citizen members with up to two from outside city limits; and (3) a code restructuring that would place airport governance language into a new Title 11 with a five-member patron set and two council members, without a fixed city-resident quota. Council feedback favored Proposal 1—adding a second council member and keeping the public-works director as a member with four local airport patrons (within 25 miles) to strike a balance between city oversight and user knowledge. Council directed staff to return with a draft ordinance reflecting that direction. No formal votes were taken on board composition during the Aug. 19 meeting; landing fees and the code changes are administrative matters staff will bring back for formal adoption.