Auburn plans lease amendment with Cascade Helicopter in exchange for services, fuel access and courtesy car

Real estate manager Josh Hart and airport manager Tim Mintonidis briefed the council Jan. 27 on a proposed lease amendment and resolution to formalize concessions and benefits provided by Cascade Helicopter at Auburn Municipal Airport.

Hart reminded the council that earlier lease amendments had established stepped fair‑market adjustments for several airport land tenants; Cascade declined to sign the prior amendment and instead negotiated an approach that formalizes services Cascade already provides while offering additional benefits to the airport.

Mintonidis described the negotiated package as a list of services and operational benefits tied to a 45% reduction from the site’s appraised fair‑market land rent. Staff presented the weighted components of the agreement, which include: continued use of a grass parcel for public events (1% discount), assistance in aircraft incidents and emergency support including mechanical lift capability (2%), continued provision of Jet A fuel service for transients (2%), air‑medical support coordination (1%), and a courtesy car for transient pilots and visitors (4%). Those items add to an existing 35% rate reduction historically applied to some tenants for property maintenance duties; Cascade’s total negotiated reduction is 45% under the amendment staff intends to bring to council.

Staff said the amendment shortens the step-increase period used for other tenants from three years to two years and adds an auditing mechanism that allows the city to verify the tenant is providing the agreed services. The amendment also ties future reviews to the city’s usual five‑year fair‑market adjustments.

Hart and Mintonidis said in the first year the amendment will bring additional rent revenue to the airport budget (staff estimated about $18,000 in the first year despite the negotiated discount, due to the underlying fair‑market increases planned for all tenants). Hart highlighted that Cascade is a local business with about 20 employees working at the Auburn location and an average reported salary around $85,000.

Why it matters: The proposed formal agreement would secure airport benefits (fuel availability, air‑medical staging, event support and a courtesy vehicle) while locking in a multi‑year rent structure and an auditing process for compliance. Staff will bring the resolution and lease amendment for council action at the next regular meeting.

Council members responded positively, praising the effort to retain the tenant and noting the community benefit of air‑medical support and a courtesy car. No vote was recorded at the study session; staff will present an executable resolution at a future meeting.