REDMOND — Come Oct. 1, it’ll cost just a little bit more to rent a car at Redmond Airport.

City councilors voted Tuesday to approve a new fee that will add a $3 charge to every car rented at the airport, for every day it’s rented, up to seven days.

It might not sound like much from an individual customer perspective, but the funds from the new customer facility charges are projected to bring in more than $459,000 for the city in 2017, according to meeting documents.

The charge is part of a new 5-year contract between Redmond Airport and four companies — Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz Rent a Car, Budget Rent A Car, and Avis Car Rental. The funds, which the companies will turn over to the city every month, will be put toward the construction of a new rental car facility at the airport in late 2017 or 2018, Airport Manager Zach Bass said.

“The airport is growing exponentially, and so is the need for car rental and need for space,” he said.

Visit Bend estimated between 2.49 million and 3.04 million people visited Bend throughout 2015, and 75 percent of those visitors traveled by car. Of the visitors who flew, 66 percent drove a rental car to Bend from airports other than Redmond Airport.

And Central Oregon’s tourism economy continues to grow. Travel Oregon, the state’s tourism agency, reported that in 2015 tourism generated $791 million in direct spending in the region.

It was the most money spent on tourism in Central Oregon in any year yet.

The new facility, which Bass described as “behind the scenes” in regard to how noticeable it will be to customers, will give the rental car companies a place to wash, refuel, and maintain their cars, as well as provide more space for parking.

“You’re not going to see it,” he said, referring to customers being able to notice a difference at the airport.

Currently, the companies have to take care of these duties on their own at businesses around town, and it slows down turnaround time for getting cars back to customers, Bass said.

Brian Yates, site manager for Avis in Redmond, said, “We’re all on board,” referring to the new charge. Representatives from the other car-rental companies weren’t available for comment.

Earlier this summer, it was reported that there was a shortage of rental cars available to travelers.

Bass said that a customer facility charge is common.

“We sit right around 150th in size for airports in the nation, and more than 130 airports have a customer facility charge,” he said. “Both Medford and Eugene also have a $3 per-day per-car charge. Portland is running at a $6.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7829, awest@bendbulletin.com