In addition to the general powers conferred in this
chapter, and without limitation thereof, a municipality that has
established or may hereafter establish airports, restricted
landing areas, or other air navigation facilities, or that has
acquired or set apart or may hereafter acquire or set apart real
property for that purpose or purposes is authorized:
(1) To vest authority for the construction, enlargement,
improvement, maintenance, equipment, operation, and regulation
thereof in an officer, a board, or body of the municipality by
ordinance or resolution that prescribes the powers and duties of
the officer, board, or body; and the municipality may also vest
authority for industrial and commercial development in a
municipal airport commission consisting of at least five resident
taxpayers of the municipality to be appointed by the governing
board of the municipality by an ordinance or resolution that
includes (a) the terms of office, which may not exceed six years
and which shall be staggered so that not more than three terms
will expire in the same year, (b) the method of appointment and
filling vacancies, (c) a provision that there shall be no
compensation but may provide for a per diem of not to exceed
twenty-five dollars per day plus travel expenses for time spent
on commission business, (d) the powers and duties of the
commission, and (e) any other matters necessary to the exercise
of the powers relating to industrial and commercial development.
The expense of the construction, enlargement, improvement,
maintenance, equipment, industrial and commercial development,
operation, and regulation are the responsibility of the
municipality.
(2) To adopt and amend all needed rules, regulations, and
ordinances for the management, government, and use of any
properties under its control, whether within or outside the
territorial limits of the municipality; to provide fire
protection for the airport, including the acquisition and
operation of fire protection equipment and facilities, and the
right to contract with any private body or political subdivision
of the state for the furnishing of such fire protection; to
appoint airport guards or police, with full police powers; to fix
by ordinance or resolution, as may be appropriate, penalties for
the violation of the rules, regulations, and ordinances, and
enforce those penalties in the same manner in which penalties
prescribed by other rules, regulations, and ordinances of the
municipality are enforced. For the purposes of such management
and government and direction of public use, that part of all
highways, roads, streets, avenues, boulevards, and territory that
adjoins the limits of any airport or restricted landing area
acquired or maintained under the provisions of this chapter is
under like control and management of the municipality. It may
also adopt and enact rules, regulations, and ordinances designed
to safeguard the public upon or beyond the limits of private
airports or landing strips within the municipality or its police
jurisdiction against the perils and hazards of instrumentalities
used in aerial navigation. Rules, regulations, and ordinances
shall be published as provided by general law or the charter of
the municipality for the publication of similar rules,
regulations, and ordinances. They shall conform to and be
consistent with the laws of this state and the rules of the state
department of transportation and shall be kept in conformity, as
nearly as may be, with the then current federal legislation
governing aeronautics and the regulations duly promulgated
thereunder and the rules and standards issued from time to time
pursuant thereto.
(3) To create a special airport fund, and provide that all
receipts from the operation of the airport be deposited in the
fund, which fund shall remain intact from year to year and may be
pledged to the payment of aviation bonds, or kept for future
maintenance, construction, or operation of airports or airport
facilities.
(4) To lease airports or other air navigation facilities, or
real property acquired or set apart for airport purposes, to
private parties, any municipal or state government or the
national government, or any department thereof, for operation; to
lease or assign to private parties, any municipal or state
government or the national government, or any department thereof,
for operation or use consistent with the purposes of this
chapter, space, area, improvements, or equipment of such
airports; to authorize its lessees to construct, alter, repair,
or improve the leased premises at the cost of the lessee and to
reimburse its lessees for such cost, provided the cost is paid
solely out of funds fully collected from the airport's tenants;
to sell any part of such airports, other air navigation
facilities or real property to any municipal or state government,
or to the United States or any department or instrumentality
thereof, for aeronautical purposes or purposes incidental
thereto, and to confer the privileges of concessions of supplying
upon its airports goods, commodities, things, services, and
facilities: PROVIDED, That in each case in so doing the public
is not deprived of its rightful, equal, and uniform use thereof.
(5) Acting through its governing body, to sell or lease any
property, real or personal, acquired for airport purposes and
belonging to the municipality, which, in the judgment of its
governing body, may not be required for aircraft landings,
aircraft takeoffs or related aeronautic purposes, in accordance
with the laws of this state, or the provisions of the charter of
the municipality, governing the sale or leasing of similar
municipally owned property. The municipal airport commission, if
one has been organized and appointed under subsection (1) of this
section, may lease any airport property for aircraft landings,
aircraft takeoffs, or related aeronautic purposes. If there is a
finding by the governing body of the municipality that any
airport property, real or personal, is not required for aircraft
landings, aircraft takeoffs, or related aeronautic purposes, then
the municipal airport commission may lease such space, land,
area, or improvements, or construct improvements, or take leases
back for financing purposes, grant concessions on such space,
land, area, or improvements, all for industrial or commercial
purposes, by private negotiation and under such terms and
conditions that seem just and proper to the municipal airport
commission. Any such lease of real property for aircraft
manufacturing or aircraft industrial purposes or to any
manufacturer of aircraft or aircraft parts or for any other
business, manufacturing, or industrial purpose or operation
relating to, identified with, or in any way dependent upon the
use, operation, or maintenance of the airport, or for any
commercial or industrial purpose may be made for any period not
to exceed seventy-five years, but any such lease of real property
made for a longer period than ten years shall contain provisions
requiring the municipality and the lessee to permit the rentals
for each five-year period thereafter, to be readjusted at the
commencement of each such period if written request for
readjustment is given by either party to the other at least
thirty days before the commencement of the five-year period for
which the readjustment is requested. If the parties cannot agree
upon the rentals for the five-year period, they shall submit to
have the disputed rentals for the period adjusted by arbitration.
The lessee shall pick one arbitrator, and the governing body of
the municipality shall pick one, and the two so chosen shall
select a third. After a review of all pertinent facts the board
of arbitrators may increase or decrease such rentals or continue
the previous rate thereof.
The proceeds of the sale of any property the purchase price
of which was obtained by the sale of bonds shall be deposited in
the bond sinking fund. If all the proceeds of the sale are not
needed to pay the principal of bonds remaining unpaid, the
remainder shall be paid into the airport fund of the
municipality. The proceeds of sales of property the purchase
price of which was paid from appropriations of tax funds shall be
paid into the airport fund of the municipality.
(6) To determine the charges or rental for the use of any
properties under its control and the charges for any services or
accommodations, and the terms and conditions under which such
properties may be used: PROVIDED, That in all cases the public
is not deprived of its rightful, equal, and uniform use of the
property. Charges shall be reasonable and uniform for the same
class of service and established with due regard to the property
and improvements used and the expense of operation to the
municipality. The municipality shall have and may enforce liens,
as provided by law for liens and enforcement thereof, for repairs
to or improvement or storage or care of any personal property, to
enforce the payment of any such charges.
(7) To impose a customer facility charge upon customers of
rental car companies accessing the airport for the purposes of
financing, designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining
consolidated rental car facilities and common use transportation
equipment and facilities which are used to transport the customer
between the consolidated car rental facilities and other airport
facilities. The airport operator may require the rental car
companies to collect the facility charges, and any facility
charges so collected shall be deposited in a trust account for
the benefit of the airport operator and remitted at the direction
of the airport operator, but no more often than once per month.
The charge shall be calculated on a per-day basis. Facility
charges may not exceed the reasonable costs of financing,
designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the
consolidated car rental facilities and common use transportation
equipment and facilities and may not be used for any other
purpose.
(8) To exercise all powers necessarily incidental to the
exercise of the general and special powers granted in this
section.
[2005 c 76 § 1; 1990 c 215 § 1; 1984 c 7 § 5; 1961 c 74 § 2; 1959 c 231 § 2; 1957 c 14 § 1. Prior: 1953 c 178 § 1; 1945 c 182 § 8; Rem. Supp. 1945 § 2722-37. Formerly RCW 14.08.120 through 14.08.150 and 14.08.320.]
NOTES:
Severability -- 1984 c 7: See note following RCW 47.01.141.
Continuation of existing law -- 1957 c 14: "The provisions of section 1 of this act shall be construed as a restatement and continuation of existing law, and not as a new enactment. It shall not be construed as affecting any existing right acquired under its provisions, nor as affecting any proceeding instituted thereunder." [1957 c 14 § 2.]
Validating -- 1957 c 14: "The provisions of section 1 of this act are retroactive and any actions or proceedings had or taken under the provisions of RCW 14.08.120 through 14.08.150 or14.08.320 are hereby ratified, validated and confirmed." [1957 c 14 § 3.]
Appointment of police officers by port districts operating airports: RCW 53.08.280.