At the Jan. 20 meeting of the Carroll County Airport Commission, consulting engineer Dan Clinton worked to identify projects for the five-year Capital Improvement Plan. Clinton handed out a page from the Federal Aviation Administration delineating “the useful life of the facility or equipment” which states how often the FAA will grant funds for particular projects. For example, CCA will complete its rehab of the taxiway in 2017 and guidelines stipulate FAA will not grant funds for that project for another 10 years.
Commissioners, with Clinton’s guidance, approved these projects for the CIP:
- 2017: finish rehabbing the taxiway
- 2018: repair or replace precision approach path indicator lights and runway end identifier lights
- 2019: replace runway lighting
- 2020: expand south apron
- 2021: purchase land
Clinton told commissioners if there were a groundswell of support for extending the runway there might be a chance of FAA support, but he had been advised CCA might need private funding with possible assistance from the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics. Airport Manager Michael Pfeifer commented the Berryville Chamber of Commerce had discussed staging a fundraiser to help with runway extension.
Clinton also announced the Arkansas Airport Operators Association might want to meet in Eureka Springs this autumn for its annual meeting, but commissioners should write AAOA a letter to improve the prospects. Commissioner Sandy Martin said she would also get a letter from Eureka Springs Mayor Butch Berry. AAOA conferences attract airport managers, commissioners, elected officials, pilots, vendors of related products, and representatives of the FAA.
Slim budget
Martin said commissioners should discuss the “really slim” budget for 2017. She said because of the tight county budget, the Carroll County Quorum Court reduced allocations to almost all county departments. She suggested CCA, as a first step toward staying out of red numbers, reduce two monthly loan payments, but what the airport really needed was ideas for generating more revenue.
Commissioner Dane Mulligan pointed out they had spent money to improve access to hangars on the south part of the property so they could make more money on hangar rentals, but they have not resolved all the issues related to hangars.
Martin followed they could look at increasing hangar rental rates, but first they should look for other options such as attracting business meetings to the facility. In the meantime, they must reduce loan payments and watch expenditures. Commissioners agreed to discuss the budget again at the Feb. 16 meeting.
Need a door
Mulligan reiterated they had approved upgrading access to the 60×60-ft. hangar on the south part of the property to improve chances of more revenue, but movement toward renting it was at a standstill. There were two proposals from interested individuals, but the hold-up was the need for a new very large and expensive door for the building that, according to one estimate, would have to be lowered into place. Clinton said there might be state funds for it but the money would not be available until at least May. He will prepare the grant application before the next meeting.
Pilot Harper Goodwin commented, “You would have a real jewel if it had a door on it.”
And need a fence
Commissioner Morris Pate reported he had been at the airport one morning eating breakfast when he saw two males dressed in dark clothes running across the west end of the airport property. He said they took off when they noticed he had seen them, and he reported the trespassing to the sheriff’s office, then went looking for the interlopers. A deputy took a report.
Pate asked what the commission could do to secure the perimeter. Clinton replied CCA might need 4000 feet of fencing, and a federal grant would require a light on top of every fence pole. He said the state might fund the project piecemeal, but each grant would require a match.
Pfeifer mentioned there was evidence someone had tried to pry open a door of a building on the south part of the property.
Pate remarked they cannot control the deer or turkeys getting onto the property and now, apparently, people, and the situation could present a hazard to planes landing or taking off. He suggested they continue getting more information about fencing.
Next meeting will be Friday, Feb. 17, at 12 p.m. at CCA.