NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Advisory Panel continues working through the draft airport rules and regulations and has made some changes to the access badge fee structure.

 

The panel first went over access badges and possible fees associated with them last week and eventually agreed to set a $50 badge fee with a $25 renewal/reissue fee. 

 

Access badges would be renewed every five years. 

 

But before that, there was much discussion on how best to reorganize the access badge structure.

 

Administrative Officer Angie Ellison said a new revenue stream would give the airport some more autonomy and would allow the airport to bump up the airport manager salary at will without having to ask the city for more money.

 

Also, these funds could go toward the city's share of federal airport projects that in the past have been complicated by a lack of funding on the city side.

 

Gilman, who opposed the change, did not think there was a need to add more fees and administrative procedures. He felt the added revenue was not enough to put restrictive measures into place.

 

"We probably have a couple hundred users, and that is not likely to go up or down much overtime," Gilman said. "I have had mine since I got it, and I don't see a need to charge an annual fee for people to enter a public airport."

 

He also pointed to the airport's "poor" billing system and noted a rotating cast of employees have taken the responsibility over the years. The inconsistency has led to errors in billing and a new fee would not help matters.

 

"It becomes a big tangled mess and this is just one more thing," he said.

 

Gilman felt it may work better if there was a manager consistently managing billing. He added that if they really wanted to build some revenue they should straighten out tie-down, lease, and landing fees. He estimated there was close to $100,000 the airport could gain if they followed fee structures other airports use.

 

Panelist Michael Milazzo did note there were some billing issues but did not think they should stop the airport from trying to improve. He said the airport needed to "aim higher."

 

Milazzo added that a fee would encourage badge holders to take better care of their badges. Also, a renewal system would allow the airport to better manage inactive users.

 

They did allow for the manager to tender temporary licenses for vendors, city workers, trash haulers, and contractors who need access to the operations side for maintenance reasons. 

 

The panel then refined some wording in the conduct policy that would allow the manager to remove users from the airport if they are improperly conducting themselves or causing a disturbance with disruptive behavior.

 

The issue was the subjectivity of the language and the panelists felt it was difficult to compose a completely objective regulation. However, they thought kicking off a final decision to the full five-member Airport Commission would clean up the process.

 

"This would have to be a decision that a full board of five people would have to agree to," Gilman said. "... It would have to be at such a serious level."

 

Gilman added there is a need for some sort of enforcement policy and said he has been harassed by other users in the past. He said documents directly referring to him have been left at the flying club office in public view. When removed they are brought back. He said currently he did not see a way to crack down on harassment.

 

"We don't need these sorts of things at the airport," he said. "… We want to move forward in an airport that is a happy place where people can hang out and fly their planes without conflict."

 

Milazzo agreed that there had been issues at the airport but did not want to set a policy in response to a single situation. Although he questioned the subjectivity of the policy, he felt that referring issues to a five-member board was a step in the right direction.

 

The panel also discussed the removal of derelict airplanes and agreed this was a decision that should go before the full commission. They had questions about carrying firearms at the airport noting it was likely illegal indoors.