ARLINGTON — City officials spoke with The Arlington Times April 6 about allegations being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, after a recent state audit addressed many of those same complaints.

“It’s important that the FAA and the state auditor look at our government to make sure our practices are transparent and compliant with the law,” Mayor Barbara Tolbert said. “The city and the airport have had a symbiotic relationship for years, and the Fly-In started here in 1969. This was all well under way before I became mayor.”

Of the 25 claims sent to the FAA by Kevin Duncan, owner of Arlington Flight Services, the FAA asked the city to respond to nine. Airport manager David Ryan sent an eight-page letter to the FAA answering this list, point by point.

City administrator Paul Ellis joined Ryan in explaining that the city covers the costs for police, fire and EMS to the airport according to an agreement the FAA dating back to 1999. The terms of the agreement dictate that the police assess their responses and patrols to the airport during a one-month period in even years. However, due to staffing shortages, the survey scheduled for 2012 couldn’t be completed until 2013.

Tolbert noted that the airport makes up one-third of the city’s land area, but only one-fourth of its police, fire and EMS budgets.

“This is in spite of the fact that much of the airport is an industrial center, which typically comes with much higher risks in those areas,” Tolbert said.

Duncan had alleged that lease payments and late fees had been waived for certain airport lessees. But Ryan pointed out that the state auditor had already determined that lease payments for one lot had merely been incorrectly recorded.

More importantly, city director of communications Kristin Banfield reiterated the state auditor’s determination that there was no conflict of interest, in this lease or any other action taken by the mayor or City Council.

Duncan claims that churches, schools, food banks and other community and nonprofit groups are allowed to use airport property at low or no cost. Ryan countered that the airport leases land to the city off-airport in the industrial park, as well as to the Arlington School District off-airport near the Stillaguamish Athletic Club, at fair market value.

As to Duncan’s allegations of misconduct in the lease and operation of the Arlington Airport water well, Ryan explained that the airport well produces only 2 percent of the city’s water, while the airport itself consumes more than 2 percent.

Tolbert concluded: “We’re one of the few small airports not to rely heavily on taxpayer dollars, so we try to be resourceful with the money we have.”