Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: James C Porter, Director of Public Works
Subject: Airport Landing and Parking Fees and Privacy Policy
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing:
A) A landing fee of $75 for operators required to comply with 14 C.F.R. Part 135 at the San Carlos and Half Moon Bay Airports; and
B) Overnight vehicle parking fee of $10 per day for non-based 14 CFR Part 135 operators and/or their passengers at the San Carlos Airport for a six (6) month pilot period; and
C) The Director of Public Works, or his designee, to refund any overcharges resulting from data, data entry, or computation errors; and
D) The Airports’ Operations and Security Systems Privacy Policy.
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BACKGROUND:
On June 27, 2017, your Board adopted resolution 075251 approving a contract with Vector Airport Systems to provide an aircraft monitoring and automated billing system at the San Carlos Airport. The implementation of the Vector system was to be completed in two phases. The first phase is the immediate access to flight track data and the integration of that data with the Airport’s noise complaint system, which has been completed. The second phase is the integration of the camera feed into the system which will allow staff to explore the option of offering financial incentives to pilots for voluntarily limiting their operations to certain times of day (discount to be paid back to Airport with non-Enterprise Funds), charging landing fees for operators required to comply with 14 C.F.R. Part 135 (commuter and charter operators), and providing another resource to further validate flight track data. The second phase, the camera feed integration, is to be implemented along with an Airports’ Operations and Security Systems Privacy Policy (Privacy Policy) to provide a policy to safeguard data collected from unauthorized use. The Department has modeled this Privacy Policy on State guidelines for Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR), and the County’s policies on ALPR and surveillance, as technology contained within the Vector system works similarly to ALPR.
Vehicle parking at the San Carlos and the Half Moon Bay Airports is regulated by the Airport Parking Policy adopted by your Board on December 15, 2015, resolution 074285. Staff recommends updating the Airport Parking Policy to allow for a limited number of overnight parking spaces for non-based Part 135 operators and/or their passengers near the Terminal Building at the San Carlos Airport. Staff is not proposing overnight parking fees at the Half Moon Bay Airport at this time because there is sufficient parking and a limited number of non-based operators requesting overnight parking. State law and local ordinances, including Sections 21113 et.al. and 22651.3 of the California Vehicle Code, and Chapters 7.28, 7.32 and 1.08 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, provide that local authorities may, by resolution or ordinance, prohibit or restrict the stopping, parking, or standing of vehicles in parking facilities controlled by the County and cite vehicles that are in violation of the County’s parking restrictions.
DISCUSSION:
Landing fees are recommended to be used by the County to offset costs related to operations and capital infrastructure necessary to maintain the runways, taxiways, and aircraft parking areas at the Airport. While the total number of operations has remained steady over the last five years, the number of Part 135 operations, including commuter and charter operations, has increased significantly during the same period. This significant increase in Part 135 operations has created a burden for the County that has resulted in the need for additional Airport staffing, expanded hours of operation, increased use of airside and landside airport facilities and maintenance, increased runway striping costs, unplanned runway and taxiway maintenance, pilot and community outreach and education programs, and associated flight management databases. Because there are no landing fees at the San Carlos and Half Moon Bay Airports, non-based Part 135 operators do not pay any fees towards the cost of capital and infrastructure, and based Part 135 operators do not pay the increased cost of maintenance, repairs, and staffing incurred for these types of operations. Airport staff recommends implementing landing fees for both based and non-based Part 135 operators using the San Carlos and Half Moon Bay Airports to more fairly and equitably allocate Airport costs based on use. Landing fees are charged by several nearby General Aviation Airports and were recommended by members of the San Carlos Airport Business Association and also the Airport’s aviation consultants as a means to offset costs based on the use of the airfield. Landing fees are required by most General Aviation (GA) airports in the Bay Area and the proposed fee of $75 is consistent with charges by other comparable GA Airports. (Benchmark of fees is attached.)
The newly implemented Vector Airport System would automate the billing of landing fees for Part 135 operators at the San Carlos Airport. There are fewer Part 135 operators at the Half Moon Bay Airport and landing fees can be implemented manually with existing staff.
The use of the Vector System’s camera feed to collect landing fees will be implemented along with a Privacy Policy. A draft of the Privacy Policy was presented to your Board at the June 27, 2017 Board meeting, disseminated to the San Carlos Business and Pilot’s Associations, and posted to the Airports’ website for comments. A revised draft of the Privacy Policy is attached for your Board’s approval. The Policy was updated to further clarify authorized users of the system, the type of use, an appeals process, that the security of the hardware and software is in compliance with the County’s Information Technology Department’s policies and procedures, and that the most current version of the Privacy Policy is available on the Airport’s webpage. Staff will provide an update to your Board in six months and report back on the system’s implementation and type of record requests received under the Privacy Policy.
Airport staff also recommends imposing an overnight vehicle parking fee of $10 per day at the San Carlos Airport for non-based Part 135 operators. Airport staff will return to your Board in six (6) months to provide a report and a recommendation on whether to continue this provision of the Airport Parking Policy. A pre-designated number of spaces will be allocated on the Terminal side of the Airport to allow for this overnight parking. This will provide additional customer service to our community, reduce parking monitoring by Airport staff, and provide a revenue source to help offset costs related to maintaining the Terminal vehicle parking lot. If approved by your Board, Airport staff will update the Parking Policy and monitor the number of designated spaces to ensure continued accessibility for Airport customers and businesses as well as emergency response vehicles.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
Approval of this resolution contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Collaborative Community by allowing residents, business owners, and the Airport community to help shape policy that provides equal and fair access to the airfield and public parking areas at County Airports.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Revenue generated from landing and parking fees is estimated at $150,000 annually based on existing volume of Part 135 operations. Revenues will be used to offset the costs of the Vector Airport System, which is currently funded with Measure K funds, and maintenance and repair of Airport runways, taxiways and parking areas.
There is no impact to the General Fund in Fiscal Year 2017-18. In Fiscal Year 2018-19, landing fees could replace Measure K funds up to $70,000 for costs associated with the Vector Airport System.