Airport Authority Still Working on Policies and Standards

The Toccoa-Stephens County Airport Authority is going to try and negotiate with a tenant that has filed a complaint against the facility and the authority.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the Airport Authority voted unanimously to authorize Airport Authority and Stephens County Commission Chair Dennis Bell and Toccoa Mayor and Airport Authority member Terry Carter to negotiate with Foothills Aviation.

Foothills Aviation has filed an informal Part 13 complaint against the airport with the Federal Aviation Administration that the Georgia Department of Transportation is currently investigating.

That complaint accuses the airport of unjustly discriminating against Foothills Aviation in regards to the Airport Authority not allowing Foothills to continue leasing hangar space since Foothills’ lease expired.

Bell said the Airport Authority would like to reach an agreement that works for all involved.

“Mayor Carter and myself are going to go out and talk with Mr. Wood and see what kind of compromise we can come up with,” said Bell. “See if we cannot move this thing forward and put all of the complaints and legal issues to an end.”

To that end, the Airport Authority also approved on Tuesday entering into a short-term lease agreement with Foothills Aviation to allow it to continue leasing hangar space at the airport for the time being.

Bell said that the Airport Authority is not in a position to enter into any long-term leases at this time.

“We are going to have the minimum standards completed and voted on before we enter into any kind of long-term lease,” said Bell.

The Airport Authority also took a step forward on putting minimum standards and policies and procedures in place.

Tuesday, the Airport Authority voted unanimously to send a draft of both of those to state officials for their approval.

Bell said the Airport Authority wants to have both of those documents in place as soon as possible.

“If they are good to go, we are going to vote on them in our August meeting,” said Bell.

Bell said that minimum standards, along with policies and procedures, are needed because in the past, things were done verbally and he says things need to be in writing and on record as following a standard operating procedure.

In addition, as part of the review of the Foothills complaint, the DOT requested the Airport Authority to provide information on its policies and standards, particularly related to leasing hangar space.