Airport Grants Tied to City Ownership
The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission is requiring that airport property must be owned at least in part by the public entity (city or county) involved, in order to obtain a grant.
Several city officials this week received a letter from Victor Bird, Director of Aeronautics for the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, clarifying the OAC's position on airport property.
In letters to Mayor Carolyn Nuckolls, Gary Trippensee, Chairman of the Grove Municipal Airport Trust Authority Board, City Manager Bill Galletly, and Airport Manager Terri Abercrombie, Bird said "to preserve the argument that a public asset cannot be executed against, the asset must be owned at least, in part, by the public entity. "Consequently, the Commission is requiring that for an airport sponsor to receive a grant, the airport property must be owned at least, in part, by the public entity involved.
"Whether the public entity should be the exclusive owner is a local issue, and not an issue in which the Commission is interested.
"The Commission is interested in protecting the public investment, period, and we believe the position we have taken addresses our interest," Bird said.
Bird said as a result of litigation concerning the Grand Lake Regional Airport and "the fact that ownership of that airport has been transferred to a private individual, the Commission must take steps to protect the investment of public--state and federal--money in public airports which are part of the State Airport System."
The airport board will hold its next meeting at 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6 to discuss the issue of transferring airport property to the city of Grove.
Several city officials this week received a letter from Victor Bird, Director of Aeronautics for the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, clarifying the OAC's position on airport property.
In letters to Mayor Carolyn Nuckolls, Gary Trippensee, Chairman of the Grove Municipal Airport Trust Authority Board, City Manager Bill Galletly, and Airport Manager Terri Abercrombie, Bird said "to preserve the argument that a public asset cannot be executed against, the asset must be owned at least, in part, by the public entity. "Consequently, the Commission is requiring that for an airport sponsor to receive a grant, the airport property must be owned at least, in part, by the public entity involved.
"Whether the public entity should be the exclusive owner is a local issue, and not an issue in which the Commission is interested.
"The Commission is interested in protecting the public investment, period, and we believe the position we have taken addresses our interest," Bird said.
Bird said as a result of litigation concerning the Grand Lake Regional Airport and "the fact that ownership of that airport has been transferred to a private individual, the Commission must take steps to protect the investment of public--state and federal--money in public airports which are part of the State Airport System."
The airport board will hold its next meeting at 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6 to discuss the issue of transferring airport property to the city of Grove.
posted by Editor | 2:30 AM
1 Comments:
Dear Missy,
Thanks for blessed relief from the never-ending, contentious ebb and flow of City Hall. Why don't you run for office next election? I'd vote for you in a minute!
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