Tri-State Airport Authority Meeting - March 18, 2010

EDITOR’S NOTE:  As part of my Reporting Public Affairs class at Marshall University, I have been asked to pick an organization and sit in on their meetings.  I have chosen to cover the Tri-State Airport Authority.  Once a month I will write an article that will convey what happened at those meetings.

            The Tri-State Airport Authority met on March 18 to discuss finances and upcoming airport projects such as extending the taxiway and creating an Interstate 64 exit specifically for the airport.

            At the opening of the meeting, Financial Director Don Wiseman reported on the financial operations of the airport for the month of February and delivered a summary of bank account balances, passenger statistics and gallon fuel usage.

            The overall expenses were slightly under budget and the enplanements for this year were up by 965 from 2009 and by 2,657 from 2008.  As for fuel usage, 1,312 more gallons were used in general aviation in comparison to that of February 2009.

            There was to be an approval of the Airport Directors Compensation Package, but due to the absence of two board members, the board decided to table the discussion until the next meeting.

            Maintenance Manager Bob Maynard updated the board on the runway extension project and said that 90 percent of the brush has been removed from the site and that completion of the building foundation and lighting was 40 percent complete.

            R.W. Armstong, who will be doing the Master Plan Update for the airport spoke about the possibility of buying homes and land to make a direct link from Interstate 64 to Tri-State Airport.

            The board also discussed the emergency exercise held on March 13.  This was a tri-annual exercise that consisted of 170 victims and approximately 1000 emergency responders.  During the mock disaster, Tri-State Airport unveiled its new Oshkosh Striker 1500 fire truck.