Commission recommends ordinance change to emphasize aviation expertise on airport commission

The Middleton Airport Commission recommended a revision to chapter 2.18 of the airport commission ordinance to prioritize membership with aviation-related expertise and to replace the word "recreational" with "private" in the draft language.

Commissioners debated how narrowly to define "expertise," how to balance residency requirements against the practical difficulty of filling specialized seats in a city of about 22,000 people, and who would ultimately judge whether reasonable efforts had been made to recruit qualified candidates. Matt (as the drafter) explained that he used language drawn from case law about the meaning of an expert — "experience outside of ordinary human experience" — and said that experience could include being a private or professional pilot. Commissioner Bridal and others cautioned against wording that would effectively bar otherwise able applicants and urged flexibility so the commission could be filled.

After discussion Chair Lerman called for a motion. The commission recorded a motion from Commissioner Schwartz and a second from Commissioner Fleming to approve the language as revised (removing "recreational" and adding "private"). The commission approved the recommendation by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript. Staff said the ordinance language will be forwarded to the council and that appointments remain subject to mayoral and common-council approval.

Commissioners requested staff and the city attorney ensure the language is clear enough to preserve expertise on the commission while not making appointments impracticable in the future.