HOLLISTER
For patrons who keep aircraft at the Hollister Municipal Airport, they can expect to pay a little more to store their planes.
The Hollister City Council this week adopted new tie-down rates for the next year raising the price by $10 per month while also increasing the charge for overnight parking. The ordinance also calls for a Consumer Price Index increase for every year after.
“The fees bring us on par with other local airports,” said Airport Manager Mike Chambless. “The fees haven’t been adjusted since they were implemented in 1988.”
The former charges were $40 and $60 per month for single- and twin-engine planes. Those rates will now be replaced by $50 and $70 monthly fees, respectively.
Along with new tie-down rates for single- and twin-engine aircraft, the resolution includes overnight charges for those two types of planes and jets. The overnight charges were $3 for a single engine, $5 for a twin engine and $5 for a jet. They are now $5, $10 and $25.
Hollister Airport Advisory Commissioner Gordon Machado said the rates were due for an increase.
“I think it’s done by comparison – we’re nowhere out of line,” Machado said. “It was the prudent thing to do to be in the fair-market average.”
The new rates also feature a a CPI increase for each year. Chambless said that the current CPI is at 3 percent and has been for a few years. If that trend continues, the rate for a single-engine plane to be tied down would increase by $1.50 next year.
The increase in fees has more to do with administration rather than cost, Machado said.
“It’s not a labor or material inducing process. It’s more of an administrative cost.”
Machado does not think the new rates will deter pilots from keeping their planes there.
“No, its a minimal increase,” he said.
Chambless, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure.
“I have no idea. The economy is having an effect on people housing their planes at the airport.”
