FAA Directs City of Willits to Change Airport Rules or Lose Funding
The Willits Municipal Airport, nestled against the Brooktrails subdivision and surrounded by wild land, is in the crosshairs of the Federal Aviation Administration as the result of a complaint by one of the airport’s tenants.
The tenant alleged the airport violated rules around operations and maintenance that accompany FAA grants to Willits, citing more than 100 instances of unauthorized access and unsafe conditions.
For years, the FAA has provided grants to the city for airport projects under the condition that Willits enforce specific rules, such as preventing unauthorized public access to runways. However, according to an FAA determination, the city has not been adequately enforcing these rules. The director's decision, issued in a June 30, 2025, letter, cited photographs of children riding bikes on the runway and people walking dogs on airport grounds as evidence of unsafe conditions, along with allegations of tenants sharing gate codes.
The city administration submitted a corrective action plan to the FAA on May 9, 2025, outlining steps to develop, implement and enforce new airport rules. However, the proposed modifications to Chapter 2.40 of the Willits Municipal Code have sparked considerable discussion and concern among city officials and the public.
A “Masterwork of Complaints” from a Single Tenant
City Councilmember Bruce Burton said the FAA seemed to be asking the city to put in place a solution when there was no problem, especially since all the complaints have been made by one individual. Burton maintained that the risk to aviation from deer on the runway was greater than from children on bicycles or people walking their dogs.
“Would it be worthwhile to have a conversation with this guy?” he said, referring to Michael Helvey, director of the Office of Airport Compliance for the FAA.
Other airport tenants and city staff described the situation as “blown out of proportion,” with photos often being “manipulative.”
“His reality ... is different than most anyone I know,” said Mike Smith, a longtime airport tenant, during the Aug. 13 City Council meeting. He emphasized that in 61 years of the airport’s operation, there had been “not a single complaint about safety until this one individual came along.”
Another tenant, who did not give his name, echoed this sentiment, stating, “We haven’t had any safety incidents up there, and there really hasn’t been anybody to tell the FAA when these complaints come in that they are simply not valid.”
After a brief discussion, the city council decided not to include the letters written by Paul Trexel in defense of his complaint in the meeting notes.
Although, Kenan O’Shea, the city’s street and parks superintendent, who addressed the council on behalf of Assistant City Manager Cathy Moorhead, noted Trexel had provided more than 100 examples.
A small sample of those, included in correspondence dated June 17, 2024:
Jan. 27, 2024 — Children were observed riding bicycles on the ramp
March 30, 2024 — A pedestrian was observed walking a dog
May 1, 2024 — A pedestrian was observed obtaining fuel from an avgas pump using a jerry can
June 4, 2024 — A pedestrian was observed on the runway
“If a person from the public wants their comments to be heard by the public they should come down here, and, I mean, they can distribute that to the council, but I don’t know that we have an obligation to be their voice to the community,” Burton said. “They can send a letter to the editor of the paper or they can stand on the street corner, but I don’t think we have an obligation to distribute that letter to the constituency of the town.”
(Note to reader: Mendo Local requested Trexel’s public comments under the California Public Records Act, but these were not made available to us by the time of publiccation.)
Balancing Safety, Community Culture and Cost
The proposed changes to the Willits Municipal Code aim to align Willits’ ordinances with “industry standards” and those of other regional airports, clearly defining who and how the facility should be used, with potential for criminal charges and penalties for trespassers. The penalties, aligning with county ordinances, could be up to $500.
However, council members expressed reservations:
Extreme Penalties: Council members found the proposed $500 fine “kind of extreme” and urged the inclusion of warnings and educational measures before imposing criminal charges.
Lack of Actual Incidents: It was highlighted that there has never been an incident of a pedestrian-versus-airplane at the airport.
Cost and Overreach: While city staff noted that updating the ordinance is “financially ... not a real heavy lift,” concerns were raised about the potential for the FAA’s demands to lead to costly measures like extensive fencing or additional consultants.
Lack of Fairness: Mayor Tom Allman noted that Shelter Cove has a golf course adjoining its airport with no fence, and that “a brewery is attached to the airport.”
Minimal Compliance: A strong sentiment emerged among council members to limit the city’s response to what was strictly necessary to comply with the directive.
“We need to do the minimal possible of changing our ordinance — that includes warnings — so we comply with the FAA and we don’t infringe upon the freedom that our citizens might have,” Allman said.
Next Steps: Discussion and Possible Action
The City Council plans to re-agendize the proposed ordinance modifications for a discussion-only meeting on Sept. 10, with potential action to follow at a subsequent meeting.
This delay is intended to allow for further public input, particularly from airport tenants, and to consider the suggestion of consulting the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) for their expertise.
However, it remains unclear whether Willits can satisfy the FAA by modifying its ordinance alone. In a letter dated June 30, 2025, Helvey said the FAA could not approve the city’s corrective action plan without “a detailed plan of action that the city will undertake resulting from Council approvals, product deliverables, and the timeframe for which the actions will be developed and implemented.”