The Palatka City Commission on Thursday directed the city manager and the city attorney to move forward with steps to address compliance issues at Palatka Municipal Airport and to provide the commission a status update by July 7.

The action followed more than two hours of discussion that began when commissioners raised concerns about tenant activities, long-term campers and other uses on airport property that might conflict with FAA grant assurances. Commissioners repeatedly said they had received complaints and that several advisory-board members had resigned. The city manager described a consultant review and a corrective-action plan that staff said had been completed and is being implemented.

The airport manager and a consultant briefed the commission, describing multiple categories of concern including nonaviation uses of airport buildings, long-term parking and camping on airport grounds, and questions about leases and rent documentation. “If it’s going to affect our funding … we need to move quicker,” one commissioner said, citing a recent FAA visit and the risk to federal grants. The city manager told the commission the city had completed due diligence and was moving forward with legal steps while balancing legal constraints and tenant rights.

Commissioners debated whether to issue cease-and-desist orders to specific tenants; the initial public discussion included several references to a club using the old terminal, a school/flight-training question, and prolonged camping/RV parking on airport property. The city attorney told commissioners she had advised staff on the legal framework and that staff should present any formal notice or direction through legal channels. Staff said portions of the airport property — including spray fields, potable water wells and the location of a fire station — were part of the FAA grant footprint and therefore needed careful documentation.

After a motion to add the airport item to the agenda as an emergency item, the commission debated motions and ultimately approved direction for the city manager and city attorney to continue work addressing compliance and to provide an update to the commission by July 7. Several commissioners emphasized they wanted written reports rather than brief verbal updates and asked staff to provide clear timelines for next steps.

The discussion included a request that, where possible, staff give commission members the same information at the same time to avoid confusion. The commission asked staff to include: copies of any formal lease documents or letters purporting to authorize tenant uses; the consultant’s findings and corrective-action plan; and any documentation submitted to FAA or other grant agencies.

The commission did not direct staff to pursue a single immediate enforcement action across all tenants; instead it instructed staff to pursue corrective steps set out in the consultant’s plan and to return with a detailed update. Commissioners emphasized their goal of protecting FAA funding and public safety while ensuring legal due process for tenants.

The airport discussion was the meeting’s longest single item and drew several public comments and a town-hall–style exchange that included airport users and people who live near the facility. The record shows commissioners requested written updates and additional documentation and asked staff to seek faster resolutions where legal obligations allow.