Santa Maria police officers will once again provide law enforcement duties at the local airport.

The City Council approved the new agreement with the Santa Maria Public Airport District on Tuesday night without comment. The airport board approved it in late June.

Before the council’s action, Mike Flores, manager of finance and administration for the airport district, encouraged approval.

Flores said staff members worked “pretty tirelessly” to reach the deal.

Officers with the Santa Maria Police Department previously provided police services at the airport, including the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint staffing required for scheduled commercial passenger departures. 

Beyond the checkpoint, the police officers will also provide proactive patrols and respond to calls for service, including crime reports.

The airport, operated by a special district, sits within Santa Maria city limits. The airport is approximately 2 miles from the police station, and 11 miles from Guadalupe’s. 

Under the new agreement, the airport essentially would fund one full-time officer.

The district would pay $265,500 for the first year, $272,775 in the second year and $292,714 in the third year, with higher amounts designed to offset the increases in personnel, administrative, equipment and operating costs. 

When the three-year agreement ends, the contract calls for an automatic two-year renewal unless canceled.

Special events such as air shows, emergency exercises, or other extraordinary events needing additional staffing aren’t in the agreement and would be negotiated separately.

The Airport District will remain responsible for federally-required training expenses, airport-owned patrol vehicle costs and other expenses.

For the past nine years, officers with the Guadalupe Police Department have fulfilled the duties in a switch that leaders of both cities said would be beneficial to each organization. 

At the time Guadalupe took over policing duties, the Airport District paid $419,000 annually. That broke down to $182,000 for personnel salaries, $118,000 for benefits and $119,000 for administrative costs. 

With lower salaries, Guadalupe expected to provide the service for a lower price and still benefit by adding two new officers and receiving some administrative costs. 

The initial five-year pact between Guadalupe and the airport launched Sept. 1, 2017, with options for an automatic renewal for five more years.

The new police contract follows the renewal of an agreement between the airport and city for the Santa Maria Fire Department to provide Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting services (ARFF). The ARFF coverage involves staffing the truck equipped with foam in case of an aircraft incident. 

Santa Maria firefighters assumed the airport responsibility in 2008 after years of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department handling those duties.

Under the three-year deal, the airport will pay $758,223 initially and $788,822 by 2028-29. 

After the initial three years, the airport’s payment to the city would be $925,282 for 2029-30 and $943,813 for 2030-31.