Longtime Jacksonville Mechanic Faces Eviction, Airport Authority Enforces Rules

The Jacksonville Airport Authority voted on December 9 not to renew the month to month lease for Irv Klem Klemmensen, the longtime operator of Klem’s Aero Repair. The board set a deadline requiring removal of people and customer aircraft and equipment by December 31, 2025, and ordered Klemmensen to vacate the large hangar west of the terminal by January 15, 2026. The move follows an October 31 Notice to Cure Default that listed alleged lease violations.

The notice cited multiple issues, including storage of trailers and vehicles inside and outside the hangar, non aeronautical woodworking activity, unauthorized third party aircraft work, alleged subleasing or unauthorized access, and security and gate concerns. Airport officials told the board that enforcing aeronautical use rules is necessary to remain compliant with Federal Aviation Administration grant assurances as Jacksonville seeks state and federal funding for airport infrastructure.

Klemmensen and his attorney, Heidi Scott of Mt. Sterling, dispute the allegations. They contend the activities cited are long standing practices at the business, including woodworking used to fabricate aircraft parts, and that prior airport boards tacitly accepted those arrangements. Supporters and customers warn the eviction could eliminate local maintenance capability for small airplanes, jeopardize existing contracts including work for the Illinois State Police, and disrupt the regional aviation community that depends on decades of specialized work.

Airport officials said they would consider offering a new lease if Klemmensen agrees to strict conditions, including limiting hangar access, removing third party work, and removing non aeronautical equipment. Supporters say those terms would cripple the business and undercut the very services that keep small aircraft airworthy in the region.

The dispute highlights a broader tension faced by many municipal airports, balancing federal grant compliance and eligibility against long standing informal tenant relationships that serve local communities. For Morgan County pilots, emergency services and small aviation businesses the immediate concerns are practical, including where light aircraft maintenance will be performed after the deadlines and how sudden loss of local capability might increase costs and response times. The authority and Klemmensen have left open the possibility of further negotiations before the January 15 deadline.