Authority reviews rates for end units and tie‑downs; construction updates tied to $6M appropriation

The Municipal Airport Authority examined rates for non‑aeronautical end units and tie‑downs and received construction updates on projects funded through a recent $6,000,000 appropriation.

Paul (speaker 2) told the board that six end units have for years been charged $55 a month and that most are leased; staff recommended raising those rates to better reflect non‑aeronautical value and asked the board for guidance. Members asked staff to bring comparative pricing from similar local airports and to propose a recommended rate for the next meeting. "We can't keep giving it away," one member said, urging rates to be adjusted upward to better reflect market value.

On construction, a project lead (speaker 4) said he is coordinating with FAA and state contacts to encumber and program the $6,000,000 appropriation and outlined a near‑term design schedule: a 60% submittal targeted for April 30, a 90% submittal by July 31 and a final submittal by Sept. 25 for projects including the runway/taxiway run‑up pad, a large box hangar (design kickoff underway with a target bid advertisement in mid‑March), terminal upgrades, shade/parking structures and work associated with the MTSU aviation/automotive project.

Staff noted that some planned site prep (pads and taxiway paving) is included in current funding, but vertical hangar construction will be the responsibility of developers or require additional capital if the authority chooses to build. The board asked staff to provide more precise square footage, comparative market rents and a proposed rate schedule at the next meeting and said decisions about formal rate increases should ideally be voted on with a larger quorum present.

The meeting closed with announcements about Aviation Day on April 25 and an adjournment by the chair.