61-5-91 - Lease of airport facilities to private concerns.
§ 61-5-91. Lease of airport facilities to private concerns.
Any municipality having a population, according to the last federal census, in excess of ten thousand inhabitants is authorized to lease any part or all of its airport grounds and improvements to one or more private concerns for not longer than twenty-five years by awarding such contract competitively after due notice of such public letting as public contracts are made. The city may lease a part of the land included in its airport either with or without the improvements thereon, and may require the lessee to erect improvements on such land and maintain the same at its expense or the city may in the discretion of its governing authorities make such contract thereasto as may appear most advantageous and profitable to it. Any such lease contract shall be made only for the purpose of the expansion and development of such airport and its use in furtherance of the promotion of private and commercial aviation therein. The city is authorized to construct and maintain suitable airstrips and landing and take-off areas at its expense in connection with such lease thereof, and it may lease all or any part of its airport buildings and hangars to federal agencies (such as weather bureau and C. A. A.) and private and commercial airlines using such airport as a depot, but the rental thereon shall never be less than the current charges for the upkeep and maintenance thereof and the period of such contract shall not exceed twenty-five years. It is the intent and purpose of this section to vest in such municipalities within the stated class full and plenary power and authority to develop and expand its airport facilities by allowing private concerns to erect improvements thereon at their expense for repairing and servicing private and commercial airplanes and for the sale and servicing of airplanes thereat so as to assure and encourage such continued use of said property and the development thereto at the least possible expense to the public.
Sources: Codes, 1942, § 7540-01; Laws, 1946, ch. 313, § 1.