10/20/2021
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak before this commission. In looking at this situation at the airport. It is to our benefit to back up and take a 30,000’ view of what is happening here.
The first question we have to ask ourselves is, is this issue primarily with me, or is this an issue with skydiving altogether? I will remove myself from the equation as my objective has always been to provide the community with the benefits that skydiving offers.
30,000 people have looked up the Jumping Place according to Google maps.
With 5400 checking in on Facebook and over 10,300 “likes on Facebook” we bring people to your area. These visitors eat in your restaturants, purchase fuel, lodging and people as they do, spend money when in an area.
Bringing over 4,000 people each year to the City of Statesboro as visitors, Souly for the purpose of skydiving. The financial support to your community in a post CoVid environment… as economic recovery is needed. We bring more people to your area than any other business on the airport.
If the issue rests primarily with skydiving operations on the airfield allow me to bring to light a few of the benefits we brought to our community.
First we purchased as much as $84,000 of aviation fuel leach year we have operated.
We have spent over $23,000 in advertizing that highlights this airfield in the past year. When you consider other things such as rent, taxes, community programs youth education, school trips highlighting our airfield, fund raising for community causes and charity work, you can see we have been an enthusiastic partner in the success of the Statesboro Airport and the community at large.
My taxes here on one airplane last year it was nearly $500.00, this year, the tax bill is $750.00. The additional cost of a business simply having property to sell on the airfield…oddly last week the city had an employee call asking for how much property we had on the airport so that it could be taxed.
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Right hands not knowing what left hands are doing? A viable business survived CoVid and now you are closing our doors. If I do not have property here, you cannot tax that property.
Respectfully, I ask you to reconsider your actions. In our nation there are precious few female owned and operated businesses. Very few in Aviation. And you are working toward losing the only female owned and operated business that you currently have on your airport. A business that brings much revenue to the State of Georgia and to your community.
A successful business that survived CoVid and has been in business in Georgia since 2006.
We need to consider what we have brought to your area. Please work toward a peaceful resolution and keeping a viable business in business. We have customers booked months in advance. Closure of our business puts our viability as a business at risk. We are requesting that you permit us to continue operating our skydiving center on the Federally Funded Statesboro, Bulloch County Airport KTBR.
Commissioners, I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to speak with you and am optimistic that this can be worked out for the benefit of our community. I know there is a lot on your plate, we need to work together and make this a continued success story.
Mom......of everyone that's ever jumped with or around her
Pack N Cathy
Catherine (with a C) Kloess
Commercial multi engine pilot
MASTER RIGGER
AFF INSTRUCTOR
35 YEARS OF SKYDIVING
35+ YEARS OF BUSINESS
SCHOOL TEACHER
REALLY REALLY AMAZING HUMAN....BULLOCH COUNTY YOU SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED BY YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
