Commission OKs plan to hold public work sessions to promote Kingman airport and industrial park

A commissioner motion to explore regular public work sessions to promote the Kingman Airport and Industrial Park passed by voice vote at the Aug. 18 meeting of the Airport Industrial Park Advisory Commission.

Commissioners said the workshops would be noticed and run in compliance with Arizona's open meeting law and intended to keep the commission engaged between formal meetings. The sessions are meant to focus on promotion, economic-development coordination and exploratory revenue ideas rather than adopt policy.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the airport and industrial park need an ongoing promotional program to support the airport master plan, attract tenants and coordinate with the city's economic development efforts. Staff and several commissioners described past successful-but-expensive events, such as airfest-style gatherings, and discussed lower-cost alternatives that could still bring visitors and tenants to Kingman.

Discussion highlights included potential recurring topics for the sessions: community events (e.g., flying weekends, youth STEM aviation days), tenant open houses, marketing and "shovel-ready" site inventories, and revenue concepts such as leases, event revenue and partnerships. Commissioners and staff repeatedly emphasized that any revenue-generation ideas would be exploratory and subject to later approvals.

Commissioners described barriers and resources. Several commissioners recalled past airfests and said those events required substantial sponsorship, volunteers and high insurance costs; one commissioner said aerobatic performers could cost six-figure sums. Others suggested lower-cost options such as a multi-stop poker run along Route 66 or partnerships with local institutions, including Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University and local emergency services, to stage smaller public events.

Staff said the work sessions could also be an opportunity to coordinate industrial-park promotion with Mohave County and the city's economic development advisory commission so overlapping efforts are not duplicated.

Next steps and formal action: A commissioner moved and the commission voted to pursue quarterly work sessions; staff will coordinate dates and work with other commissions and present a proposed schedule at the next regular commission meeting.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to coordinate with economic development, include interested commissioners in planning, and present specific dates and agendas at the next meeting so the commission can vote on and publicize the sessions.