Supervisors approve new airport ground and hangar lease templates and 2.5% annual escalator
February 10, 2026 | El Dorado County, California
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The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 10 approved new templates for county ground and hangar leases at the county’s airports.
Laura Schwartz, assistant chief executive officer, described the templates as the product of extensive outreach with user groups and the Gold Country Airports Association. Key features include an annual 2.5% escalator on new leases (chosen as a simple, administrable alternative to a CPI index), an initial 10‑year term with two optional 10‑year extensions (potential 30‑year total), clarified maintenance obligations for tenants, and revised indemnification language excluding active county negligence or willful misconduct.
Airport users who spoke in the boardroom and online praised the changes as an improvement over prior drafts but asked for amendments: several asked the county to confirm compliance with FAA rules, to include an economic relief provision in case of deep downturns (forgoing an automatic increase in certain years), and to address jet‑fuel and fuel‑tank testing at Georgetown. Gil Wright (California Pilots Association, Region 2) and Jim Hogan (Gold Country Airports Association) urged attention to lease business terms and the airport enterprise fund; staff said the county responded to an FAA 'Part 13' inquiry and will submit a response by March.
Board members acknowledged remaining work — including potential adjustments to policy F‑10 and exploring grant funding or CIP resources for prioritized infrastructure such as fire hydrants at the East End — but supported moving forward with the templates. The motion to approve the templates passed (voice vote; board indicated unanimous support during the meeting). Staff said new leases will be required for new tenants and that existing tenants will be offered amendment options.
Why it matters: County officials said clearer, modernized leases will help airport users, increase predictability for tenants and support eventual sustainability through FAA grants and operations oversight. Critics said the 2.5% escalator should include a mechanism to pause hikes during extraordinary downturns.
What’s next: County will bring F‑10 into alignment with the templates if the board approves them and staff will continue to engage FAA and tenant groups on technical items.
Laura Schwartz, assistant chief executive officer, described the templates as the product of extensive outreach with user groups and the Gold Country Airports Association. Key features include an annual 2.5% escalator on new leases (chosen as a simple, administrable alternative to a CPI index), an initial 10‑year term with two optional 10‑year extensions (potential 30‑year total), clarified maintenance obligations for tenants, and revised indemnification language excluding active county negligence or willful misconduct.
Airport users who spoke in the boardroom and online praised the changes as an improvement over prior drafts but asked for amendments: several asked the county to confirm compliance with FAA rules, to include an economic relief provision in case of deep downturns (forgoing an automatic increase in certain years), and to address jet‑fuel and fuel‑tank testing at Georgetown. Gil Wright (California Pilots Association, Region 2) and Jim Hogan (Gold Country Airports Association) urged attention to lease business terms and the airport enterprise fund; staff said the county responded to an FAA 'Part 13' inquiry and will submit a response by March.
Board members acknowledged remaining work — including potential adjustments to policy F‑10 and exploring grant funding or CIP resources for prioritized infrastructure such as fire hydrants at the East End — but supported moving forward with the templates. The motion to approve the templates passed (voice vote; board indicated unanimous support during the meeting). Staff said new leases will be required for new tenants and that existing tenants will be offered amendment options.
Why it matters: County officials said clearer, modernized leases will help airport users, increase predictability for tenants and support eventual sustainability through FAA grants and operations oversight. Critics said the 2.5% escalator should include a mechanism to pause hikes during extraordinary downturns.
What’s next: County will bring F‑10 into alignment with the templates if the board approves them and staff will continue to engage FAA and tenant groups on technical items.
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