Mariposa County’s airport will have a new fixed base operator, and the company it selected already has a proven track record of success in other local business ventures. At Tuesday’s meeting, the board of supervisors chose to open negotiations with KMPI Airport and Rent-a-Car to operate the facility.

KMPI is operated by Rick Roesch of Mercy Ambulance and Jesse Figueroa, who is a partner with Roesch in the Greeley Hill Market. Both men will have the overall responsibility for the operation of the airport through their managers on site.

The board voted 4-0, with Supervisor Jim Allen recused, to choose KMPI, even though it was the second choice of county staff. Based on discussion and a recommendation from the Airport Advisory Committee, it seems that the public and board was more comfortable with the smaller scale, home town approach proposed by KMPI.

Mercy Ambulance is one of Mariposa County’s largest employers and has been doing business in the county since 1993. Figueroa resurrected the Greeley Hill Market after its closure, adding goods, services and fuel to the remote store.

The County has been working on a way to keep the airport terminal open since budgetary concerns threatened to close the terminal earlier this year. The terminal currently remains open, but funding will run out at the end of this month.

The public works department sent out a request for proposals for FBOs earlier this year, and it received six submissions. A panel of two board members, the County Administrative Officer (CAO) Rick Benson, two Airport Ad Hoc committee members and a general public member reviewed the proposals and selected the top three for interviews. At the conclusion of the interview process, the panel concluded that the proposals submitted by KMPI and Turlock Air Center were the two best.

Former Public Works Director Dana Hertfelder had recommended the board select the proposal submitted by Turlock Air, and CAO Benson carried that recommendation to the board.

“I feel an embarrassment of riches,” he said, noting that he was very comfortable with both top proposals. He said the “tie breaker” was the fact that Turlock Air had experience being an FBO at other airports.

KMPI’s proposal states that it will increase the volume at the airport, thereby increasing visitors and revenue for the county. “We will exceed the County’s hope as we will provide those services without a subsidy,” the proposal states.

Roesch acknowledged that he didn’t have any experience operating an airport, but remembered a time when he had 23 days to create an ambulance service in Mariposa County. “We got it done,” he told the board. The same thing happened at the Greeley Hill Market. “If we are selected, we will dedicate the same effort to the airport,” Roesch concluded.

Citizens backed Roesch’s pitch. Bob McHugh said the Turlock Air proposal was too much, too soon. “All that stuff is wonderful, but needs to built toward,” he told the board.

Ken Melton said the board should look at the value of home town commitment. “Local people have been here in the past. They’ll be here in the future,” he said.

Benson began talks with KMPI on Wednesday morning.