Carson City Airport to institute monthly rental fee

Owners of about half a dozen planes abandoned on Carson City Airport property will soon be getting a bill.

The Airport Authority decided on Wednesday to start charging a monthly rental fee of $120 beginning in December.

That’s assuming the owners can be found through identifying numbers on each plane.

The group of aircraft includes three Grumman HU-16 Albatross, a large twin–radial engine amphibious flying boat that was used by the U. S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard.

If the owners fail to pay, the planes could be sold for scrap.

“They’re derelict aircraft,” said Steve Tackes, the authority’s counsel. “People park their junk out there.”

The authority also voted to institute a pay range for the airport’s operations and maintenance specialist and to give the interim manager authority to give the current specialist a pay raise.

Gary Province has worked at the airport seven years and last received a pay raise in 2011.

“Over the last seven years, I’ve enjoyed being employed by Carson City Airport,” Province said during public comment. “Over the years there’s been a consistent policy of inaction. I want to thank you for hearing me and taking up this item.”

The pay range for the position is now $18.50 to $29 per hour.

The authority also accepted its annual audit conducted by Kohn & Company LLP.

“There are no material weaknesses,” said Beth Kohn, auditor.

She said the airport essentially broke even, if $89,000 in rock sales were excluded, and said that while there were no going concerns the airport did need new sources of revenue.

“You are not generating excess money and you need to generate excess money,” she said.

The audit can be found at the airport’s web site, flycarsoncity.com, on the Meetings and Agenda page.

Two items were postponed to the next meeting, one to approve the installation of a sign and another to approve a new job description for the airport manager, which is needed before the airport can begin recruiting for the job.