Airport commissioners on Thursday closed a public hearing and approved an amendment to the airport rates and charges that makes the terminal and FBO weight grids consistent, after months of drafting and a day of public comment.

Airport Manager Smith presented a draft that includes numerous specific fee updates and a proposed 5% across‑the‑board increase for both signatory and nonsignatory users. “We also proposed, an increase in rates charges straight across the board 5%,” Smith told the commission during the hearing.

The hearing’s most substantive debate focused not on the headline percentage but on how the airport allocates certain “common use” terminal charges among airlines. The existing method bases portions of those charges on a preceding three‑year average of airline activity; commissioners and staff discussed moving that component to a monthly, usage‑based allocation so charges reflect current operations rather than historic averages.

Airport staff noted airlines already report monthly statistics (by the 10th of each month) and that the data could be used to calculate a monthly line‑item on existing invoices. Supporters said monthly billing would better match actual usage and growth, while opponents cautioned it could unsettle airlines that negotiate annual leases and prefer predictable terms. Smith and commissioners agreed legal review and airline notification would be needed before any change to leases or methodology.

Amira Trubensivik, speaking for Delta Airlines, told the commission she generally supported a move toward more real‑time allocation but urged careful treatment of new entrants: she said new carriers should be charged for their actual usage rather than a discounted or ad hoc new‑entrant percentage. Trubensivik also asked the commission to consider a smaller across‑the‑board increase, requesting the originally proposed 3.5% be revisited.

After discussion the commission voted unanimously to adopt the specific motion brought forward at the meeting: adjust the weight grid to be consistent across the terminal and FBO tables. Commissioners also directed staff to run models showing the financial impact of switching common use allocation from a three‑year average to a monthly, usage‑based approach and to return draft language for review and legal input.

What happens next: staff will circulate modeled scenarios and draft language to commissioners and share those results with affected airlines; any change that affects existing lease pricing will be coordinated with legal counsel and communicated to carriers before implementation.