Leesburg Council Approves New Airport Permits

The Leesburg Town Council voted 6-0-1 last Tuesday to approve Town Code revisions regarding the , including creating a temporary commercial operator permit for outside businesses to work at the airport.

The temporary commercial operator permit will allow anyone not leasing space at the airport to conduct business after they submit an application for approval and pay the town a fee.

“When we redid the airport rules and regulations, which were approved by Council in December 2011, one of the new provisions was to accommodate businesses who need to access the airfield and do work but were not previously allowed to do so because they did not have a base of operation here," said Deputy Town Manager and Airport Director Kaj Dentler.

There are a number of mobile businesses who come to the airport, he said, such as mechanics and other companies that provide instrument installation and bodywork for planes.

“We’re trying to be more accommodating for businesses who want to come to the airport but aren’t physically located at the airport," he said.

The fee was approved at $680 per year or $100 for a 30-day period. Dentler said the fee is estimated to increase airport revenues by $2,000 to $3,000 depending upon the demand for services.

The Town Council also amended the annual fee for aircraft financing from $20 plus 1 percent of annual gross receipts to $20 plus .25 percent of gross receipts.

The reduction of the annual fee for aircraft financing is estimated to reduce airport revenue by $200 based upon fees collected in the last fiscal year.

All changes will take affect May 1, 2012.