Well, I work with the FAA to get airspace approvals and aircraft modification approvals. So based on my experience, and since the Airports Division is just another branch to develop a relationship with, I would rather just continue to use the approach that has been successful with other parts of the FAA. Read their manual and beat them to death with it. They can't really get angry with you when you point out that they are not following their own policies and procedures, which can have career implications for them.
Plus, if all of the airport community speaks up together, it is less expensive and stressful overall than if one guy at a time pushes back. That is why we organize into groups like EAA.
In the case of my airport, we have a new airport manager who seems to be using the justification that "the FAA requires" or the state DOT has some policy, and our local folks have gotten together to push back using the existing FAA airport compliance book (see post #14). So we have many against one. Since the airport authority is a political body, we can influence the one's boss. No politician wants to see a front page story about how all of the airport residents are organizing a revolt against the new airport manager.
But since the FAA airports people in my locale may be working off bad policy that will be changed shortly, today's question is how we diplomatically get any local FAA airports division staff and the airport management to understand that they are on the wrong side of a policy change, which may be embarassing to them in the not too distant future.
Hence my question to Mr Harger.
The good news about running into this sort of problem is that my neighbors are digging into obscure FAA docs, the Clean Water Act, and other regulatory agency docs that can affect what we do on the airport. No one really cares about this stuff until a new official arrives with an agenda. Knowledge is power and while we would rather go have fun and fly, the learning that is taking place will benefit everyone in the end. We just wish it wasn't so painful now.
Best of luck,
Wes