Commission rejects per-hangar surcharge but approves FAA-funded airport fuel-system design

The Canton City Commission approved FAA- and state-funded design agreements Wednesday to produce plans and specifications for a proposed airport fuel-system upgrade, but rejected an effort to charge hangar owners a $200 per-hangar surcharge to cover the city’s portion of the grant match.

Aaron Storm, project manager for KHJ Engineering, told the commission the roughly $59,000 design package — about $56,000 of which the FAA would reimburse — would produce construction-ready drawings and specifications for either a combined 100LL and Jet A system or a larger 100LL-only installation. "We're still deciding whether we go with 100LL and Jet A," Storm said, explaining the design covers capacity, electrical work and FAA review.

Commission debate focused on long-term financial exposure if the airport were to close and on how to make the facility self-sustaining. One commissioner moved to assess a $200 surcharge per hangar (about $3,000 total) to offset the local share; he argued that hangar tenants benefit directly and should help carry the cost. "I'll make a motion that we surcharge each hanger $200 to cover the $3,000," the commissioner said. That motion failed on roll call; the commission then approved the grant agreement while directing the airport board to continue exploring revenue options.

Airport board member Dave Ammonson urged the body to let the airport board flesh out fee options and other revenue-generation ideas rather than locking in a single remedy at the grant-approval stage. Commissioners also discussed recent fuel purchases and operational pressures: staff reported a 2,000-gallon tank is being depleted quickly during peak training season and that a larger or additional tank could reduce the need for frequent deliveries.

The commission voted to authorize signature on the FAA grant and on the associated professional-services agreement for design work; the city’s cash share of the design contract was described in the meeting as approximately $1,475, with the FAA covering the majority of the cost. Members asked staff and the airport board to return with more options for stabilizing airport finances and potential user fees before moving to any new charging ordinance.

The commission also approved a separate, related KLJ (design) agreement covering the same grant pool later in the meeting after clarifying the two documents represented parts of one project rather than duplicate city charges.

Next steps: staff will finalize contract documents and the airport board will continue studying revenue options for presentation to the commission before any new fees are adopted.