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Airport manager to base gate and lock policy on TSA advisory; commission to form working group
Summary
Airport manager Lenny Sansone said he will use a July 30, 2025 TSA advisory as guidance to draft a gates-and-locks policy; commissioners discussed using Knox Box locks to give certified responders access and asked to be involved via a small working group to shape local rules and minimum standards.
Airport management told the commission Dec. 10 it will base an evolving gate-and-locks policy on a Transportation Security Administration advisory issued July 30, 2025, and that the advisory will serve as guidance rather than law.
"This is not law or regulation in any fashion. This is an advisory that the TSA has given us as airport operators to be able to operate on basically good practices," Sansone said. He added the advisory contains recommendations on gates, locks and security practices that the airport will use to draft its forthcoming policy.
Commission members and staff discussed Knox Box (knock) locks, which allow certified responders such as fire and law-enforcement personnel to gain access when responding to emergencies. Sansone said installations vary: if a hangar is privately leased for a long term, the leaseholder might provide the Knox lock; if the county owns the hangar, the county would provide it. He added that responders would be the only parties with that key access.
Commissioner Baylor asked for direct involvement in drafting the policy. Sansone requested the commission appoint one or two members to work with staff so the group could translate the TSA guidance into local rules, minimum standards and procedures.
What happens next: Sansone will draft policy language and convene commission members to collaborate on guardrails and minimum standards for gates, hangars and other airport security measures.
