Some volunteers and members of the ad hoc committee on the Mariposa-Yosemite Airport think the County should add more time for fixed-base operators (FBO) to apply to run the facility. Committee member Tim Wennberg made that clear at the board’s Tuesday meeting.

Wennberg said the County’s timeline and scope of advertising for the FBO were inadequate. He said the deadline should be extended to Feb. 1 from the currently-advertised Jan. 6.

“To advertise only in Mariposa is inadequate to look for somebody that’s going to do a good job,” Wennberg said of the request for proposal (RFP). He suggested the RFP be circulated “statewide, at least.”

The County is looking for a private operator to contract services at the airport. The board of supervisors decided late last year that would be the best course of action to keep the facility open.

Wennberg also had concerns about the current state of operations. He said volunteers have been manning the terminal two and even three days a week. He said in order to facilitate more efficiency, the County should install a key lock box for volunteers, so that complicated key exchanges wouldn’t have to be arranged.

Another issue Wennberg raised was the lack of availabilty of oil for pilots, which could be a safety hazard. He suggested the volunteers be able to sell oil on a cash-only basis.

Finally, Wennberg said that the current terminal manager is out of control. He referenced a repeated request to change the airport’s phone message, and said the manager had not done anything about it.

“This is indicative of a problem that’s been going on for years,” Wennberg said of the manager’s behavior. “It’s out of control. No one can control this airport operator.”

The board did not take action on Wennberg’s requests, but said it would direct staff to look into the issue further.

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