Airport hopes to see funds

Web posted October 13, 2000

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By Justin Martin
Staff Writer

A five-year capital improvement program is in place, a master plan for future economic growth is on the way, and, for the first time in years, Augusta Regional Airport applied for discretionary funds.

Interim Airport Director Tim Weegar said the Federal Aviation Administration ultimately rejected Augusta's application for any of the surplus money left in the FAA budget from this past fiscal year.

Still, Mr. Weegar said he is encouraged by the progress the airport has made in the past few months.

Thursday morning, Mr. Weegar told the Augusta Aviation Commission he thinks the airport has a very good chance of receiving $500,000 from the FAA in December to purchase a new airport rescue fire fighting truck. The current vehicle is 25 years old.

``It's not in our pocket yet, but it looks very favorable,'' Mr. Weegar said.

OTHER STORIES: • Aviation groups come to airport's aid • Aviation commission looks to GAIN • New airport promotions prepare for takeoff • Airport hopes to see funds • Experts push master plan for airport • Airport ignores funding • Board moves to study expansion • Inspectors: Airport outdated • Commission rethinks airport plan • Commission OKs design of new terminal • Airport gets fund priority • City sets sights on airport facilities • City looks to land major airlines • Local leaders discuss airline service goals • Delta jets to depart from area • Airport panel OKs new terminal plan • Growth alarms officials • Augusta's size hurts airport expansion plan • Firms vie for airport plan • More airlines doubtful • Problems hurt Bush Field • Airport business picks up • Augusta airport plans disappointed by Delta

Aviation commission members greeted the news with a round of applause.

Several months ago, Mr. Weegar and other airport officials began meeting on a regular basis with representative of the FAA's Southern Region district office in Atlanta.

``We want to understand how the chess game is being played,'' Mr. Weegar said. ``We now know the policy, we know the rules, we know the time frames and this is really starting to make sense for us now. The regular meetings are really paying off.''

Clarence Fennell, the airport engineer, has laid out a five-year plan of capital improvement projects. He has prioritized the list based on the FAA's ranking system as a way of increasing the chances of getting some of these discretionary funds.

``Runways, taxiways and aprons are ranked very high,'' Mr. Fennell said. ``Anything to do with safety is (ranked) in the 90th percentile.''

The FAA funds airports in two ways: entitlement money and discretionary money.

Entitlement money is based on the number of people using an airport - Augusta is expected to get $1.9 million in 2001, thanks to the Airport Improvement Reform Act for the 21st Century. The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Clinton this weekend.

Discretionary money is funds left over at the end of the fiscal budgetary year. The FAA is required by law to disperse this money to airports as quickly as possible. FAA officials say they give the money to those airports with projects that benefit the safety of the traveling public.

Besides prioritizing a list of projects and shaping it in a way to catch the FAA's attention, airport officials say they need to have Georgia's state lawmakers, U.S. senators and representatives, and the county government working together.

``Other airports have been very successful because they've worked the whole picture,'' aviation commission member Marcie Wilhelmi said.

Ed Skinner, chairman of the aviation board, said everything has to start at the local level.

Mr. Skinner said a big reason why the airport has been unable to apply for discretionary funds in the past is because the city didn't understand the urgency and refused to sign off on the applications.

``A lot of the problems we've had, the controversy has started because we waited until the last minute to get approval from the Augusta Commission,'' Mr. Skinner said. ``(We) should meet with the finance committee of the Augusta Commission and make sure they understand how this money is handled.''

Reach Justin Martin at (706) 823-3552.

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