The Logan-Cache Airport Authority spent the bulk of its December meeting debating how to move from a legacy hangar waiting list toward an application-driven allocation system while protecting existing applicants’ priority.

Airport manager Bob presented recommended changes that would close the existing refundable $500 deposit waiting list and transition current registrants into a file-based application system that categorizes requests by desired hangar size (roughly “large” 100-by-100 feet and “small” under 100-by-100). Bob said existing registrants’ submission dates would be preserved in the transition and that deposits for people who had since purchased hangars would be refunded. "In the unfortunate event of death of an individual currently registered on the waiting list, the 500 site deposit paid by that person will be fully returned to their legal estate upon presentation of necessary documentation," Bob said.

Board members pressed for specifics about fairness and administration. One member proposed a strict first-in-first-out rule within each size category to reduce perceptions of favoritism; another urged an explicit definition of who will review and verify size, location, access and verifiable aviation use in applications. Several members recommended adding a statement allowing the board to weigh applications against broader airport objectives (for example, where a large development supports taxiway cost-sharing). "If everybody meets that criteria, then I do think you should have (priority) based on order of application," one board member said.

The board debated whether to replace the refundable deposit with a nonrefundable application fee. One board member recommended a $500 application fee, nonrefundable, to simplify administration; others favored a lower nonrefundable fee (for example $100) or a refundable deposit plus a smaller nonrefundable fee to cover administration costs. "Let's have a $500 application fee, period," a member proposed; other members objected that a high nonrefundable fee could be unfair to long-waiting applicants.

Board members agreed to produce amended text incorporating: (1) explicit "large" vs. "small" size categories, (2) first-in-first-out priority within a size category, (3) clearer review responsibility and criteria, and (4) options for a refundable deposit or an application fee to be decided in January. Manager Bob was asked to circulate a draft for further discussion and a formal vote at the next meeting.

The meeting also produced two related, discrete votes: the board approved returning deposits to people who purchased existing hangars and approved returning the deposit of a deceased registrant to that person’s estate. The broader waiting-list policy changes were left for additional drafting and a January action.

What's next: staff will prepare draft language that incorporates board amendments for formal consideration in January.