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Knox County approves airport agreements, raises parking rates; hangar lease renewal narrowly passes
Summary
The Commission approved several airport items on Jan. 13, including a contentious renewal of hangar lease amendments that passed 2–1 after debate about a 10‑year term and missing fair‑market valuation; the body also approved a USDA wildlife services agreement and a parking policy that raises rates by $1.
The Knox County Commission on Jan. 13 approved multiple airport measures, including lease amendments for hangars 1–53, a cooperative wildlife‑control agreement with USDA APHIS, and an updated airport parking policy.
The hangar and land lease amendments for hangars 1–53 were approved after debate about the proposed 10‑year renewal term and the absence of current fair‑market‑value data; the motion, made by Commissioner Morgan E.F. Hynd and seconded by Commissioner Marc J. Ratner, passed 2–1 with Chair Edward B. Glaser voting no. Chair Glaser said he was not opposed to the idea of a 10‑year lease in principle but believed the County lacked sufficient information to approve a long renewal without current valuation data. Airport Manager Jacob Johnson and the Airport Public Advisory Committee (APAC) expressed support for renewal.
The Commission unanimously authorized the Airport Manager to sign a 2026 Cooperative Service Agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services to provide wildlife removal services; the agreement is a renewal and incurs costs only if services are requested. The body also approved updates to the airport parking policy that include a $1 rate increase, the installation of meters, and a return to prior parking collections processes overseen by the Airport Administrative Assistant after staff determined the prior tracking contract captured only about 20% of fees.
After the executive session, the Commission voted to call for nominations to fill three APAC seats (District #2, South Thomaston and Airport Business) and approved the nomination timetable and press release. The Airport Manager will publish the timetable and manage the recruitment process.
The Commission’s decisions on the airport items took effect immediately; the hangar‑lease vote was the only airport action decided on a split ballot.
