Payson pilots and hangar tenants protest new airport fees; council appoints three to airport commission

Public speakers at the Payson Common Council meeting on June 11 urged the council to reconsider recently approved airport fees and the proposed rental rates for town-managed hangars, saying the new structure is inequitable and could jeopardize federal grant assurances. Later in the meeting the council appointed three people to the Airport Commission, including one appointment decided 4–3.

The most detailed public comments came from Tom West, who identified himself as an American Airlines pilot and a member of the Payson Aero Club. West said several fee items labeled as "existing" in the council packet were actually new and that some fees were unworkable for a non-towered airport. "Those things they have in there are crazy," West said of the proposed fee schedule, adding that the $2,500 runway-incursion charge and other penalties did not match FAA definitions for a non-towered field.

Mike White, who said he is a founder and treasurer of the Payson Aero Club and a co-owner of Light Sport LLC, told the council the proposed T-hangar rate of $371 per month is inconsistent with the per-square-foot rates used elsewhere at the airport. White said the town staff calculation used 1,050 square feet per hangar while tenants measured the hangars at about 950 square feet; at a rate of $0.34 per square foot, tenants calculated a fair monthly charge of about $330. "Give us the fair and equitable treatment of $300 not $3.71," White said, urging council to reexamine the fee schedule and to ensure compliance with FAA and DOT grant assurances that require equitable treatment of users.

Council members agreed to agendize a follow-up: verify the hangar square footage and return with clarified rate calculations. A staff representative told the council the town would review the measurements and bring the item back as an agendized matter.

Appointments and votes on the Airport Commission followed. The council reappointed Heather McCully to a term expiring June 30, 2028 (vote recorded as 7–0). The council then appointed Adam Moore to the Airport Commission after a 4–3 vote; during discussion several council members said they had concerns about whether Moore would be collaborative on the board. Christopher Gaddis was also appointed to the Airport Commission (vote recorded by the council as approved). Several other applicants were appointed or reappointed to other boards and commissions later in the meeting.

Why it matters: Airport fees affect hangar tenants, fuel and rental operators, and the town's eligibility for federal and state airport grants. The public commenters warned that charging unequal rates or diverting airport-derived revenue to the town general fund could violate federal grant assurances and put grant funding at risk.

What council did next: Council members asked staff to verify hangar square footage and to present a corrected fee analysis at a future meeting. The appointments to the Airport Commission were finalized at the June 11 meeting as recorded above.

Proper names and context Tom West (American Airlines pilot, Payson resident) and Mike White (Payson Aero Club founder/treasurer) spoke during the call to the public. The discussion referenced the Town-managed T-hangars, Payson Hangar 1, the Payson Aero Club, and Light Sport LLC. Council directed staff to agendize verification of hangar square footage and fee calculations.

Ending: Council members and the public signaled they plan to return to the hangar-fee issue with more detailed measurements and a staff report; no fee changes were finalized during the June 11 meeting.