Updated: 7:38 a.m.
Friday, May 27, 2016 | Posted: 12:00 a.m. Friday, May 27, 2016
Local airports on final approach for state
funding
By http://www.journal-news.com/staff/ed-richter/" rel="nofollow - Staff Writer
BUTLER COUNTY —
The
Butler County Regional
Airport and Middletown
Regional Airport/Hook Field are cleared to receive state funding for updates at
their facilities.
The
three publicly owned airports in Butler County — Butler County Regional
Airport, Middletown Regional Airport and Miami University Airport — generate an
economic impact of more than $63.7 million to the area, according to the Ohio
Aviation Association. The three airports generate more than $20.2 million in
payroll and provide 611 jobs related to aviation activity.
The
Butler County Regional
Airport will receive 95
percent of the estimated $116,993 cost for rehabilitation work at the facility
through a state grant, which will help continue its effort to make the airport
self-supporting.
There
have been times in the past when the county airport had to pass on some grants
because the matching local funds weren’t available, according to Ron Davis, Butler County
airport director.
Now,
County Administrator Charles Young said there is a commitment from
commissioners for the local matching funds.
“We’re
focused on our airport and its future development,” Young said. “We’re working
for the betterment of the tenants and local businesses and we’re working on all
aspects of operations at the airport.”
While
safety is the highest priority, Young said other concerns related to the
airport’s functionality and the needs of businesses using it are being
addressed.
“We’re
not satisfied with business as usual at the airport,” he said. “We’re looking
for continuous improvement on all aspects of how it operates and its financial
position. We expect it to be self-supporting. We’re not there yet, but we’re
making tremendous progress. We have more work to do and we’re addressing that.”
The
county is reviewing five bids ranging from $81,500 to $98,000 to rehab runway
area lights.
Once
the bid is awarded, a resolution will go to the Butler County Commissioners
that will be forwarded for final state approval to release the funds, Davis said.
“We
anticipate receiving this grant,” he said.
While
Middletown Regional Airport/Hook Field’s three proposed projects totalling
$1.04 million didn’t make the initial cut, they may end up receiving state
funding after other communities were unable to provide the 5 percent local
match.
Middletown officials said they
have the local funding match ready.
“The
opportunity to rehabilitate the pavement of these areas of the airfield is
tremendous,” said Matt Eisenbraun, Middletown’s
assistant economic development director. “We have been working with our state
and federal partners to maintain what we have, but it had really come to the
end of its useful life in the last few years. We began our efforts two years
ago and when an opportunity to get this work done with federal dollars was
postponed, ODOT was able to step in and fill the need.”
Middletown is seeking the
funding for resurfacing of the airport’s taxi-ways and ramps as mandated by FAA
regulations.
The
project has qualified for state funding that will provide 95 percent of the
related construction costs up to a maximum of $1,045,256, according to Eisenbraun.
Middletown
City Council is slated to approve the city’s $166,668 local match at its June 7
meeting.
“Two
years ago, council made the decision to continue to build up our Airport
Capital Fund so that when a grant opportunity came along to do this major
project we would be prepared – we are prepared and got the chance at this
because we have the local match dollars in the savings account ready to go,”
Eisenbraun said. “Council’s wisdom created the opportunity and I believe they
will capitalize on the chance to make the airport as fundamentally sound as
possible.”
Eisenbraun
said these state grants will cover about 60 percent of the items on the
airport’s our maintenance list from 2015.
“We
will now be able to look at investing in enhancements and upgrades with the
funds the FAA regularly distribute to us and it will be much easier to support
the opening of the western areas of the airport near Hook Business
Park and focus on to the
largest development opportunities,” he said. “The goals of our new master plan
can focus even more on the future development.”
Eisenbraun
said the airport is a tremendous asset for Middletown but its basic infrastructure needs
to be maintained.
“If
we take care of what we have, it’s much easier to get investors and businesses
to come and grow,” he said. “An airport’s life blood is the runways and paved
areas and this helps us show we understand that key factor and are ready to
take on more business.”
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