THE AIR FORCE Thunderbirds have performed at the Pacific Airshow (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt Richard Rose Jr.)

By a staff writer

It took several hours of public comments and council discussion, but a 40-year agreement for the Pacific Air Show – scheduled this year for Oct. 3-5 – was approved by the Huntington Beach City Council on Tuesday night.

The council voted 6-1 in favor with Councilman Chad Williams opposed.

What the council agreed upon was certifying an environmental impact report and authorizing the event agreement with Pacific Airshow LCC and to amend a contract with Environmental Sciences Associates to appropriate $250,000 for the airshow environmental impact report and “ongoing mitigation monitoring.”

Public comments on the deal were mostly negative, citing environmental concerns and the financial details of the deal, which was described by critics as worth $50 million over the course of the agreement.

Six council members spoke in favor of the deal, arguing that it would provide economic benefit to the community as well as net income to the city.

But the final councilmember to speak, Chad Williams, attempted to pour cold water on the agreement. He called into question estimates of the benefits and costs.

“How much is the TOT (“bed tax” paid by hotel guests at hotels)? We don’t know,” he said. “How much will we get in more tax revenue? We don’t know.”

Williams suggested that economists be consulted to determine with more precision the promised financial benefits and costs.

After his substitute motion to amend the deal to keep the 40-year deal and keep the “deal points” intact for one year but then renegotiate them afterwards failed, the full council voted to approve the original plan, with Williams dissenting.