Landing fees proposed for KTOA (Torrance Airport, CA)

[jpskies]

Once again I think we all need to get together and stop this. It might be your airport next. Please send out a letter to these folks.

Regards,
---

Tomorrow night (i.e. 6/16), a proposal to implement landing fees at the Torrance airport will come before the Council for consideration. This was not part of the original staff proposed budget revision and was added last Tuesday by one Councilmember as part of an attempt to close the City’s COVID-related budget shortage.
While the details are still lacking, it appears there would be an approximately $12-15 landing fee imposed upon fixed wing aircraft only, for both aircraft stationed at KTOA and transient aircraft.
If you would like to voice your opinion on this prior to the Council meeting Tuesday evening, you may contact the Torrance City Council using the following email addresses. Alternatively, you may also call in to speak under item 9am of the 7pm meeting at 310-618-2404.
PFurey@TorranceCA.Gov
HAshcraft@TorranceCA.Gov
GChen@TorranceCA.gov
TGoodrich@TorranceCA.Gov
MGriffiths@TorranceCA.Gov
SKalani@TorranceCA.Gov
AMattucci@TorranceCA.Gov
Councilmeetingpubliccomment@torranceca.gov
Sincerely,

Torrance Councilmember Tim Goodrich

 

[jpskies]

I apologize that I post to the wrong forum. This post should be in the "Hangar Talk".

 

[3393RP]

I apologize that I post to the wrong forum. This post should be in the "Hangar Talk".

Nope, this is the correct forum. It's definitely an aviation topic.

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Virtually all topics in this forum are permitted - so long as they are discussed in a civil manner.

 

[rtk11]

Thanks for posting. Seems like that one councilmember would want the GA community to pay for the COVID-19 impact to Torrance? Seems like a good way to peeve off on-field businesses and chase-off any transient flights to the airport, potentially driving the airport the way of KSMO. Email will be sent shortly to the PublicComment email address.

 

[AA5Bman]

Barf. That sucks. I really hope you guys can fight it.

 

[frfly172]

Landing fees for based aircraft are just another way to start the process to close the airport because of lack of use.

 

[Heftiger]

I looked at the agenda for the meeting and don’t see the topic?


https://www.torranceca.gov/Home/ShowDocument?id=59561

Edit: I reread op. Sounds like it’s buried in the budget.

 

[Heftiger]

Here’s the comma separated emails for easy copy paste.


PFurey@TorranceCA.Gov,HAshcraft@TorranceCA.Gov,GChen@TorranceCA.gov,TGoodrich@TorranceCA.Gov,MGriffiths@TorranceCA.Gov,SKalani@TorranceCA.Gov,AMattucci@TorranceCA.Gov,Councilmeetingpubliccomment@torranceca.gov

 

[Heftiger]

And I sent this email:


It has come to my attention that the City Council intends to vote on a new budget that includes the addition of landing fees for Generation Aviation aircraft at the Torrence/Zamperini Field Airport. I am a California resident and a pilot owner operator. I would recommend the council amend the budget the exclude these additional fees. The net result of adding landing fees will be additional financial burden on your local pilots, and reduced transient traffic. As an owner operator, if I was looking to visit your area for tourism purposes, my family and I would likely select a different airport and location to vacation if we were required to pay a landing fee. I except your staff is estimating revenue by taking annual airport operations and multiplying it by the proposed fee. However, you must take into account that many pilots will choose to go elsewhere. And that will negatively affect your local economy as those pilots choose to recreate elsewhere.

 

[Palmpilot]

If the goal is to balance the city's budget, it's likely that the fees will not raise as much money as anticipated, due to pilots going elsewhere. And that would also reduce revenue from flowage fees, due to reduced fuel sales.

Also, does the budget envision paying the fees into the general fund, or using them for airport operations? The former may violate FAA requirements.

Per-use fees in general tend to be inefficient, due to the overhead involved in setting up a collection mechanism. If more revenue is needed to support airport operations, increasing flowage fees instead would have the advantage of using an already-existing collection structure.

 

[JEB]

They aren't trying to balance the budget. The people who brought this to the fore are trying to close the airport and hiding behind the budget issue.

Anyone who wants KTOA to stay available should fight. The locals who knowingly bought homes under the departure flight path and then proceeded to complain about noise have been emboldened by the future closing of SMO.

I actually think though, that KTOA won't close anytime soon because it's where they manufacture Robinson helicopters and the tax money is probably significant. I do see KTOA becoming less and less of a friendly option for GA aircraft with bigger engines and larger/louder aircraft like Jets and warbirds.

I already avoid flying in and out of Torrance because they threaten fines if my engine is too loud - After the first letter, I just said "no mas" - they aren't worth the trouble.

 

[Clip4]

Just show up at the meeting and explain they can cut other serviced instead like police, fire and parks.