Airport Board Ends Long Standing Hangar Lease, Local Repair Shop Faces Eviction

The Jacksonville Municipal Airport Authority voted on December 9 not to renew the lease of Klem's Aero Repair, leaving owner Irv "Klemm" Klemmensen with until January 15 to vacate the industrial hangar he has occupied since 1992. The 3 to 1 board vote concluded a dispute that airport officials say has simmered for roughly three years and that culminated in an October letter detailing alleged lease violations.

Airport leaders listed multiple concerns in their October notice, including an alleged sublease to a woodworking business, changing the passcode for hangar access, and permitting mechanics to work on and build their own aircraft. The board said most of the requested corrections went unresolved. The board also described Klemmensen as someone who "bulldogs" people and is uncommunicative. Dan Beard, the board secretary and the city attorney for Jacksonville, said, "The response from the Klemmensen's attorney, while mentioning some things have been corrected, basically the response was 'We don't consider these violations,' and that's where it kind of ended."

Klemmensen, an Air Force veteran who opened the shop in the 1980s, said the loss of the lease is rooted in personal conflict with the airport manager and rejected the characterization of rule breaking. "I haven't done anything different than I've been doing the last 40 years here or 35 years," he said. He had planned to retire and sell Klem's Aero Repair, and reported completing about 50 annual inspections so far this year. He now says selling the business seems unlikely and hopes his sons might take it over if possible.

The board chair, Tim Heady, said officials can no longer justify renting to Klemmensen and noted that previous arrangements had effectively subsidized part of his rent, a subsidy Klemmensen said he did not know about. Manager Shastin Saxer was unavailable for comment.

For the Morgan County community the decision raises practical and governance questions. Locally based annual inspections and maintenance work may be disrupted, affecting private pilots and small operators who rely on neighborhood services. The board must follow a public bidding process for new renters, which introduces a period of vacancy and uncertainty for the hangar. The case also highlights municipal policy issues including enforcement of lease terms, transparency about subsidies, and how public boards balance safety and community business interests. Friends and customers said they worry about Klemmensen moving out by January 15, and the airport will need to weigh continuity of services against its obligations to enforce lease standards.