A plane on display at the Mariposa-Yosemite Airport during a Fly-In
March 11, 2015 - At the Tuesday, March 10, 2015 Mariposa County Board of Supervisors meeeting the supervisors considered approving revisions for Hangar, Ground Space, Tie-Down and Commercial Lease Agreements at the Mariposa-Yosemite Airport. The supervisors unanimously approved this item after listening to the recommendations by Public Works. The revisions included (1) A CPI will be introduced to provide in raising the rates in the future, (2) leases will be ten year on ground space (privately owned) and yearly on hangars (county owned). The supervisors rejected the Airport Advisory Committee recommendation of adjusting the contract language on what can be stored in the hangars.
The county owned hangar rental is based on sq. footage and the rents range from $88.00 a month to $265.00 a month. A few of the Privately owned hangers, where the owners pay for ground space, rent from $29.00 a month to $77.00 a month based on sq. footage.
Full Audio
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The following are excerpts from the discussion:
The new Director of Public Works Tony Stobbe said the leases on the hangars expire on March 31, 2015. A CPI will be introduced to provide in raising the rates in the future, leases will be ten year on private owned hangars and yearly on county owned.
GaryTaylor, Assistant Director of Public Works-Operations said the Airport Advisory Committee recommendations are (1) to keep the monthly hangar leases the same, (2) ten year leases on private owned hangars (ground space) and yearly on county owned and (3) a clause on usage (what can be stored besides a plane).
Supervisor Merlin Jones said we do not want to make the airport hangars into a cheap storage facility for everything else besides planes.
Gary Taylor said FAA rules require the hangars are to be used for aviation related items.
A motor-home is being currently stored at the airport.
Public Works has moved the majority of their stuff out of the hangars and will be fully vacated by the end of the March 2015 lease.
A study that was performed a year ago comparing Calaveras and Madera airports had Mariposa as cheaper than the other airports. No information is available on what the other airports have as amenities to make a fair comparison.
There are currently only two vacant hangars out of fifty or sixty.
In the recommendation there is up to a two percent yearly escalator clause in the rates using the CPI charts.
The Public Works Director said by looking at the study Mariposa County was not grossly under or over charging on the hangars.
There was no Public Comment. There was one email on the agenda item.
The Board can approve this item now and then Public Works can come back with a report comparing the rates with the amenities of surrounding airports.
The BOS passed this item unanimously.
Supervisors Packet Information:
RECOMMENDATION AND JUSTIFICATION:
Approve Revisions for Hangar, Ground Space, Tie-Down and Commercial Lease Agreements at the Mariposa-Yosemite Airport.
Public Works recommends revisions to the hangar (County owned), ground space (privately owned) and tie-down agreements to reflect revised rental lease adjustment amounts. New language has been added under Rental Lease Adjustments that the amount for rental payments may be adjusted annually to reflect the Consumer Price Index (CPI) prepared by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statics, using the weighted average of CPI (all urban consumers for the State of California). The amount of increase shall be based on the CPI or 2%, whichever is less. The maximum increase shall not exceed 2% in any one year.
Lessee's of the privately-owned hangars have requested that the term of the lease agreement be for a period of 10 years. This is not an unusual request and in the past the ground space lease agreements have been approved for this length of time. Staff and County Counsel concur with the 10 year lease agreement term. Currently all lease agreements expire on March 31, 2015.
The Airport Advisory Committee (AAC) recommends that the "USE" of the premises on the hangar, ground space and tie-down lease agreements be amended as well. The current lease agreements restricts the storage of boats, automobiles, recreational vehicles or other non-aeronautical use. The AAC recommends that this restriction be removed. Public Works staff and County Counsel do not concur with the requested amendment to the "USE" of the premises and recommend no change to this section.
The commercial lease agreement is a new agreement. There is an aircraft mechanic on site that is currently leasing two County-owned hangars to operate his business without a lease agreement. He is requesting the term of the lease be for a minimum of 10 years.
All lease agreements have been reviewed by County Counsel and the Airport Advisory Page 2 REF ID# 4258 Committee (AAC).
BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF BOARD ACTIONS:
The Board has approved like lease agreements in the past.
ALTERNATIVES AND CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Do not approve. The lessee's will continue to pursue the changes and will occupy hangars, ground space, tie-downs and commercial space without a lease agreement.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No financial impact
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Requested Action Recommended
