Airport budget latest issue for county commissioners
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Fiscal concerns at the Highland County Airport were discussed at length at Wednesday’s meeting of the Highland County Board of Commissioners.
Airport representatives Dr. Paul Terrell, Dan Cowdrey, Virginia Hope and Tom Hudson met with commissioners Shane Wilkin and Tom Horst regarding concerns over airport funding. Commissioner Gary Heaton was not in attendance at the meeting.
“We don’t see how we can operate the airport without some funding,” Cowdrey said. “How do you want us to manage it and pay the bills?”
Wilkin responded in what has become typical fashion during the current economic conditions. “The bottom line is we are operating with very limited funds. Some things have been cut dramatically.”
The county has recently been forced to look at state-mandated expenses first and all other expenses secondarily.
Cowdrey said in recent years the airport budget had been cut from $23,000 to $12,000. The airport also had a state audit expense of approximately $8,000 on that $12,000 budget, Cowdrey said.
“I called the state auditor and said ‘We can’t have an $8,800 audit for a $12,000 budget,” Wilkin said.
Cowdrey and Terrell both expressed concerns over maintaining the airport’s Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) for pilots.
“If we don’t have the right information (for pilots), we have a liability,” Cowdrey said. “There are things that have to be done right and there is a cost.”
“Give us the bottom line of what it will take,” Wilkin said.
“We need to know the minimum amount it will take to keep it safe and keep it open,” Horst said. “That’s probably as far as we can go.”
Commissioners and airport representatives also thanked all of the volunteers who have mowed grass, plowed and shoveled snow, and performed other tasks to assist the county airport.
“We do appreciate the volunteers,” Wilkin said. “A lot of agencies can’t make it right now without volunteers.”
• Commissioners also met with Eric Braunlin of Chillicothe, who presented a number of disability insurance proposals for the county. No action was taken on the proposals.
In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, all by 2-0 votes:
• The authorization of a transfer to the MRDD Construction Debt Retirement Fund as follows: from Board of Mental Retardation, Transfers, to MRDD Construction Debt Retirement, in the amount of $18,211.94.
• The acceptance of a bid from Sherman Dixie Concrete for Reinforced Concrete Storm Sewer Pipe (Gasket Joint), in the amount of $63,496.56, as per specifications.
• The acceptance of a bid from Sherman Dixie Concrete for Reinforced Concrete Storm Sewer Pipe (Gasket Joint), in the amount of $32,982.72, as per specifications.
• The acceptance of a bid from United Precast, Inc., for Precast Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts, in the amount of $13,872, as per specifications.
• A resolution amending Resolution 09-178, whereas the Highland County Board of Commissioners passed Resolution 09-178 on June 3, 2009; and whereas, the proper name of the borrowers should be C-Mold Acquisition, LLC, rather than Shaker Investment Partners, LLC; and whereas, there is no local share of funding required; and whereas, the president of the board should be authorized to execute any and all documents in connection with this transaction.
Therefore, it has been resolved by the Board of Highland County Commissioners that Resolution 09-178 has been amended as follows: The name of the borrower is hereby changed to C-Mold Acquisition, LLC, wherever it appears in Resolution 09-178; Section 4 of Resolution 09-178 is hereby repealed and deleted; and Section 4 of Resolution 09-178 is hereby replaced to read: “Section 4. The President of the Highland County Board of
Commissioners is hereby authorized to execute any and all documents necessary for this transaction on behalf of the Highland County Board of Commissioners.”
• The appointment of Gary Buchanan to serve on the Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The term of the appointment is Jan. 1, 2010 through Dec. 31, 2013. Mr. Buchanan will replace Christina Ross on the Board.[[In-content Ad]]
Airport representatives Dr. Paul Terrell, Dan Cowdrey, Virginia Hope and Tom Hudson met with commissioners Shane Wilkin and Tom Horst regarding concerns over airport funding. Commissioner Gary Heaton was not in attendance at the meeting.
“We don’t see how we can operate the airport without some funding,” Cowdrey said. “How do you want us to manage it and pay the bills?”
Wilkin responded in what has become typical fashion during the current economic conditions. “The bottom line is we are operating with very limited funds. Some things have been cut dramatically.”
The county has recently been forced to look at state-mandated expenses first and all other expenses secondarily.
Cowdrey said in recent years the airport budget had been cut from $23,000 to $12,000. The airport also had a state audit expense of approximately $8,000 on that $12,000 budget, Cowdrey said.
“I called the state auditor and said ‘We can’t have an $8,800 audit for a $12,000 budget,” Wilkin said.
Cowdrey and Terrell both expressed concerns over maintaining the airport’s Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) for pilots.
“If we don’t have the right information (for pilots), we have a liability,” Cowdrey said. “There are things that have to be done right and there is a cost.”
“Give us the bottom line of what it will take,” Wilkin said.
“We need to know the minimum amount it will take to keep it safe and keep it open,” Horst said. “That’s probably as far as we can go.”
Commissioners and airport representatives also thanked all of the volunteers who have mowed grass, plowed and shoveled snow, and performed other tasks to assist the county airport.
“We do appreciate the volunteers,” Wilkin said. “A lot of agencies can’t make it right now without volunteers.”
• Commissioners also met with Eric Braunlin of Chillicothe, who presented a number of disability insurance proposals for the county. No action was taken on the proposals.
In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, all by 2-0 votes:
• The authorization of a transfer to the MRDD Construction Debt Retirement Fund as follows: from Board of Mental Retardation, Transfers, to MRDD Construction Debt Retirement, in the amount of $18,211.94.
• The acceptance of a bid from Sherman Dixie Concrete for Reinforced Concrete Storm Sewer Pipe (Gasket Joint), in the amount of $63,496.56, as per specifications.
• The acceptance of a bid from Sherman Dixie Concrete for Reinforced Concrete Storm Sewer Pipe (Gasket Joint), in the amount of $32,982.72, as per specifications.
• The acceptance of a bid from United Precast, Inc., for Precast Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts, in the amount of $13,872, as per specifications.
• A resolution amending Resolution 09-178, whereas the Highland County Board of Commissioners passed Resolution 09-178 on June 3, 2009; and whereas, the proper name of the borrowers should be C-Mold Acquisition, LLC, rather than Shaker Investment Partners, LLC; and whereas, there is no local share of funding required; and whereas, the president of the board should be authorized to execute any and all documents in connection with this transaction.
Therefore, it has been resolved by the Board of Highland County Commissioners that Resolution 09-178 has been amended as follows: The name of the borrower is hereby changed to C-Mold Acquisition, LLC, wherever it appears in Resolution 09-178; Section 4 of Resolution 09-178 is hereby repealed and deleted; and Section 4 of Resolution 09-178 is hereby replaced to read: “Section 4. The President of the Highland County Board of
Commissioners is hereby authorized to execute any and all documents necessary for this transaction on behalf of the Highland County Board of Commissioners.”
• The appointment of Gary Buchanan to serve on the Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The term of the appointment is Jan. 1, 2010 through Dec. 31, 2013. Mr. Buchanan will replace Christina Ross on the Board.[[In-content Ad]]