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Private partner offers to fund Jet A fuel truck at Collegedale airport; commissioners debate pricing control and risk
Summary
SkyBoss and private stakeholders proposed leasing and subsidizing a Jet A fuel truck for Collegedale’s airport, offering to cover lease, maintenance and insurance and to guarantee a baseline of recent Jet A profits while sharing upside; commissioners expressed support for a truck but raised concerns about city control of retail pricing, staff training, and budget exposure and asked staff and the private partner to refine an agreement.
Private stakeholders working on the SkyBoss hangar project proposed on Nov. 24 to finance a leased Jet A fuel truck for the Collegedale municipal airport and to subsidize early sales in order to stimulate volume. Franklin (private partner) told the commission SkyBoss would fund the truck lease, pay associated maintenance and insurance, and guarantee the airport’s recent average Jet A profit—cited in the discussion as roughly $7,000—so the city would “be out nothing” if volume remained low.
Under the proposal, airport staff would operate the truck during normal business hours; SkyBoss asked for flexibility to set promotional pricing to attract transient users and grow volume and proposed splitting profits 50/50 with the airport once SkyBoss had covered its truck-related costs. SkyBoss framed the plan as a temporary, risk‑mitigating measure (two years was mentioned) to test whether a truck could increase fuel sales and attract new tenants and transient traffic.
Commissioners and airport staff supported the goal of increasing fuel sales but voiced multiple concerns: who controls retail pricing, the city’s liability for truck operation (including a need for higher airport liability insurance to cover damage to aircraft), the workload and training for airport staff, and the airport’s limited cash reserves for unbudgeted repairs. Some commissioners preferred a non-motorized calibrated trailer or insisted that the city retain pricing control and operational oversight.
Airport staff suggested they could run the truck if the private partner covered the incremental costs (training, insurance, maintenance). SkyBoss indicated willingness to cover insurance and some startup expenses and said it would not seek to operate fueling as a business long term but to stimulate market demand until the truck could be handed to the city once profitable.
Commissioners requested a written agreement that protects city budget and control (including guaranteed minimum reimbursements, insurance coverage and clear operational responsibilities) and asked staff and SkyBoss to return with refined terms for legal review. No binding agreement was approved at the workshop; staff was directed to work with the private partner and the city attorney to draft a formal proposal for a future meeting.
