Pilot asks council for clear hangar policies and pilot advisory board; council and staff raise coexistence concerns

Joseph Bostic, an aircraft owner and long-time pilot, urged the Richfield City Council to adopt transparent written policies governing hangar leases, approvals and lease renewals at the Richfield Airport and asked for a pilot advisory board to represent tenants’ operational interests.

Bostic described his decades of flying, international competition results using thermals out of Richfield and his plans to invest in a large hangar to host visiting glider pilots. “This airport is just something that is unbelievable,” he said, adding that he is ready to invest resources and asked the council to “please adopt transparent written policies for hangar leases and approvals” and to “establish fair, consistent lease rates for all tenants.” He also asked the council to form a pilot advisory board to provide technical input on airport uses.

Council members and staff acknowledged Bostic’s presentation and said they had been working with him on a proposed hangar; staff confirmed the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) paperwork process is in motion and that FAA Form 7460 clearance (review for proposed vertical development) had been submitted for at least one hangar.

Other airport stakeholders raised concerns about how expanded glider operations might interact with other airport uses. One speaker described operational conflicts in other communities — such as glider or parachute activity overlapping fixed-wing traffic and temporary closures or NOTAMs that affect operations — and warned that firefighting and helicopter activity sometimes require restricting airport operations. City staff and the manager noted that the airport has federal funding obligations and existing infrastructure improvements tied to firefighting and other services. Staff said the FAA clearance process and coordination with federal partners means the city must consider safety, liability and mission-critical uses before formalizing long-term hangar arrangements.

Council members said they were not opposed to private investment but flagged the need for a coordinated policy that balances tenant investment and airport operational responsibilities. Several participants suggested continuing the discussion in a staff-led working group and that the council and staff would return with recommendations on hangar leases, lease rates and a potential advisory board.

No formal policy or ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff said they had already submitted required FAA paperwork for potential hangar construction and would continue to work with Bostic and other tenants on a transparent process.