Funds raised for courthouse; county updated on airport issues
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Highland County Airport Authority President Dan Cowdrey provided an update on a number of airport-related issues to the Highland County commissioners at their June 22 board meeting.
Cowdrey sought a commission resolution to allow three southern Ohio counties temporary use of as much as $280,000 of the Highland County Airport’s FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) funds for airport improvements. As Cowdrey explained at a previous commissioners’ meeting, the FAA provides funds for county airport improvements, as long as the respective county can contribute a 5 percent match to the federal funding. In recent budgets, the Highland County Board of Commissioners have not allocated the 5 percent matching funds, due to revenue shortfalls.
Cowdrey told the board this week that Highland County’s federal funding could be temporarily transferred to other nearby counties that have the 5 percent matching funds, with a stipulation that those dollars would be returned to the Highland County Airport in the future.
Cowdrey said Greene County was seeking $60,000 to $80,000 in funding; Brown County was seeking $100,000; and Fayette County originally asked for $150,000.
“The (Highland County) Airport Authority would rather hold it to $100,000 for Fayette County,” Cowdrey said. “These counties would sign a memorandum of agreement that these funds would be assigned to us in the future,” he said.
Commissioners planned a resolution on the funds for their June 29 board meeting.
In addition, Cowdrey updated commissioners on various improvements needed at the county airport, which is located off North Shore Drive near Rocky Fork Lake State Park.
Cowdrey and commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeremy Shaffer discussed federal safety regulations for the airport runway, liability concerns and compliance issues, including the exiting distance from the runway to hangars and other structures.
“Are these new regulations?” Wilkin asked.
“Yes,” Cowdrey said. “They are continually changing. We’ve been out of (overall) compliance for 12 to 14 years, but they (the FAA) are ‘grandfathering’ us in, as long as we make improvements.”
Cowdrey said new lights need to be installed on the towers. “We also have to put a new light on top of the rotating beacon,” he said.
The estimate expense for the new lighting is $32,000 to $36,000, Cowdrey said. “That’s out for bids now.”
Additional improvements could include taking the current 3,520-foot runway to 4,000 feet in length.
The new lights and some removal of trees are high priorities, Cowdrey said. The tree and stump removal could cost as much as $100,000.
“What’s our match?” Shaffer asked.
“We’re looking at $140,000 (in federal funding), with a 5 percent match; say, $7,000,” Cowdrey responded. “We (the Airport Authority) can cover $4,000 to $5,000.”
“When do we have to have an answer?” Horst asked.
Cowdrey said he hoped to have a resolution by the June 29 commissioners’ meeting.
Wilkin said he would request that Highland County Prosecuting Attorney Anneka Collins submit a memorandum of understanding with Brown, Fayette and Greene counties.
There was no further discussion on providing the matching funds to secure the $140,000 for the Highland County Airport improvements.
• In other business, commissioners met with Highland County Job and Family Services Director Debbie Robbins on personnel matters and the ongoing transition with Highland County Children Services.
Wilkin asked for a progress report on the relocation of Children Services to JFS.
“The biggest issue is with the phones,” Robbins said. “The phone lines haven’t been switched yet, so two people haven’t been able to move.”
Wilkin advised Robbins that if she needed commissioners to contact TimeWarner (telephone service provider), they would do so.
Robbins and commissioners also discussed the pay scales and job classifications for certain JFS employees. Robbins explained that she wanted to separate certain personnel to better meet their job classifications and that it would not result in any pay increases.
Commissioners advised they had no problems with the proposal.
• As previously reported, the Highland County Historical Society has teamed up with the commissioners to fund a refurbishment project at the Highland County Courthouse.
This week, Hillsboro City Auditor Gary Lewis presented a check for $100 to the county commissioners for the project. Lewis also challenged 10 individuals (not businesses or corporations) to each donate $100, after which, he said he would contribute another $100.
“That would raise $1,200 for the renovation,” Lewis said at the June 22 commissioners’ meeting.
“Thank you very much,” Horst responded.
In addition, Horst said Merchants National Bank has contributed $1,000 to the courthouse project.
• Commissioners received an invoice from Christopher's Lounge in Hillsboro for damages to its building. Horst said the invoice was for approximately $16,000.
"We'll have to go down and take a look at it, get an estimate and see who is liable," Horst said.[[In-content Ad]]
Cowdrey sought a commission resolution to allow three southern Ohio counties temporary use of as much as $280,000 of the Highland County Airport’s FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) funds for airport improvements. As Cowdrey explained at a previous commissioners’ meeting, the FAA provides funds for county airport improvements, as long as the respective county can contribute a 5 percent match to the federal funding. In recent budgets, the Highland County Board of Commissioners have not allocated the 5 percent matching funds, due to revenue shortfalls.
Cowdrey told the board this week that Highland County’s federal funding could be temporarily transferred to other nearby counties that have the 5 percent matching funds, with a stipulation that those dollars would be returned to the Highland County Airport in the future.
Cowdrey said Greene County was seeking $60,000 to $80,000 in funding; Brown County was seeking $100,000; and Fayette County originally asked for $150,000.
“The (Highland County) Airport Authority would rather hold it to $100,000 for Fayette County,” Cowdrey said. “These counties would sign a memorandum of agreement that these funds would be assigned to us in the future,” he said.
Commissioners planned a resolution on the funds for their June 29 board meeting.
In addition, Cowdrey updated commissioners on various improvements needed at the county airport, which is located off North Shore Drive near Rocky Fork Lake State Park.
Cowdrey and commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeremy Shaffer discussed federal safety regulations for the airport runway, liability concerns and compliance issues, including the exiting distance from the runway to hangars and other structures.
“Are these new regulations?” Wilkin asked.
“Yes,” Cowdrey said. “They are continually changing. We’ve been out of (overall) compliance for 12 to 14 years, but they (the FAA) are ‘grandfathering’ us in, as long as we make improvements.”
Cowdrey said new lights need to be installed on the towers. “We also have to put a new light on top of the rotating beacon,” he said.
The estimate expense for the new lighting is $32,000 to $36,000, Cowdrey said. “That’s out for bids now.”
Additional improvements could include taking the current 3,520-foot runway to 4,000 feet in length.
The new lights and some removal of trees are high priorities, Cowdrey said. The tree and stump removal could cost as much as $100,000.
“What’s our match?” Shaffer asked.
“We’re looking at $140,000 (in federal funding), with a 5 percent match; say, $7,000,” Cowdrey responded. “We (the Airport Authority) can cover $4,000 to $5,000.”
“When do we have to have an answer?” Horst asked.
Cowdrey said he hoped to have a resolution by the June 29 commissioners’ meeting.
Wilkin said he would request that Highland County Prosecuting Attorney Anneka Collins submit a memorandum of understanding with Brown, Fayette and Greene counties.
There was no further discussion on providing the matching funds to secure the $140,000 for the Highland County Airport improvements.
• In other business, commissioners met with Highland County Job and Family Services Director Debbie Robbins on personnel matters and the ongoing transition with Highland County Children Services.
Wilkin asked for a progress report on the relocation of Children Services to JFS.
“The biggest issue is with the phones,” Robbins said. “The phone lines haven’t been switched yet, so two people haven’t been able to move.”
Wilkin advised Robbins that if she needed commissioners to contact TimeWarner (telephone service provider), they would do so.
Robbins and commissioners also discussed the pay scales and job classifications for certain JFS employees. Robbins explained that she wanted to separate certain personnel to better meet their job classifications and that it would not result in any pay increases.
Commissioners advised they had no problems with the proposal.
• As previously reported, the Highland County Historical Society has teamed up with the commissioners to fund a refurbishment project at the Highland County Courthouse.
This week, Hillsboro City Auditor Gary Lewis presented a check for $100 to the county commissioners for the project. Lewis also challenged 10 individuals (not businesses or corporations) to each donate $100, after which, he said he would contribute another $100.
“That would raise $1,200 for the renovation,” Lewis said at the June 22 commissioners’ meeting.
“Thank you very much,” Horst responded.
In addition, Horst said Merchants National Bank has contributed $1,000 to the courthouse project.
• Commissioners received an invoice from Christopher's Lounge in Hillsboro for damages to its building. Horst said the invoice was for approximately $16,000.
"We'll have to go down and take a look at it, get an estimate and see who is liable," Horst said.[[In-content Ad]]