Thursday, October 8, 2009
BARCLAY PRODS AIRPORT PROGRESS
City Council members appear to be waking up to the fact that creating an airport authority to govern the Suffolk Executive Airport could get its growth off dead stop. Suffolk Executive Airport currently is merely an ancillary utility of the city. If an authority were established the airport would be chartered as an independent authority by the Virginia General Assembly. An authority would have more autonomy in the airport’s operations than the commission currently has. Thanks to Councilman Robert Barclay IV, who has experience in such matters, for initiating the discussion. Supporting Barclay was dependable Curtiss Milteer who said there has been no major progress in the last 65 years. At the airport commission’s last meeting a unanimous vote supported the creation of an airport authority. That should do it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
If Councilman Barklay is proposing an Airport run like the Economic Development Authority, Suffolk will have a whole lot of nothing to show for it. Another level of City Council appointees with minimal knowledge or experience in what they are managing.
SPSA should be example to all that government authorities have no idea what their actions and mismanagement will create. There are no consequences for authorities failing, they merely pass the financial burden on to the taxpayers. Mayor Johnson is already hinting she will seek taxing residents to pay for SPSA's demise.
Mr. Barklay sell the airport to a co-operative or private investors. The city has as much a reason owning and running an airport as it does a marina in downtown. We thought you were smarter that this.
If this change is on the horizon, What could happen to the Pnut fest. There is a good and relationship with the airport and the Pnut fest. The city can hardly afford to lsoe this event or see it moved to the north and if they did,where could the hold it. It would cost the city in the neighborhood of 3 million alone for property upgrade and where would the property come from? The old Naval property? Good luck on that locaation if it were to move.
I don't think Peanut Fest should be the reason (or not) for privitizing the airport.
Was ASKING what about the Pnut fest that is all, suggestions and opinions? Maybe Barclay would care to comment or are his cards to close to his chest or the mayors? Would it become history or would it continue to go onwards? The question is legit or are you from the north and are opposed to it? Another legit question...
Good idea, but now make it work. A better idea is to turn the Airport over to the IDA like in Petersburg and let the airport be managed as an economic development tool, which it has been sold as. Just to create another faulty organization achomplishes nothing.
If the Peanutfest had to move from the "Executive" airport, I'm sure an enterprising lawyer with close political connections would find a suitable site.
Suffolk has owned the airport and nothing significant has been generated in the way of economic development Turning over responsibility to the EDA would be another collosal waste of taxpayer money. Our EDA is a collection of self-serving politicos, ministers and old timey friends of councilemn. The only member with a head on his shoulders was Mr Dennis Garttman. He tired of wasting his time and intelligence with people who just don't get it and never will. Plain and simple our EDA is a hopeless collection of nothings that never were or will be. Mr. Barclay, sell the airport and be done with it!
Mr. Reeves from the SNH overshot the runway in his opinion piece. The Suffolk Executive Airport's potential is restricted by the number of available runways dictated by the FAA. It is also surrounded by commercial and residential development.
Following the example of other Suffolk authorities, an airport authority would be slow to react to market conditions while having the ability to generate debt WITHOUT public input or any form of accountability. The public however, would be liable to underwrite their debt. If the airport were to be managed by an authority would Public Work's budget be reduced or will it be the contracted manager? I believe Mr. Barclay playing a shell game by shifting costs away from the city coffers to an authority while maintaining the city's current tax rate. Either way you look at it this can only be construed as a tax hike.
Mr. Reeves like your predecesors you will move on to another assignment in a few years but we will be stuck with the consequences of another authority for the rest of our lives. Besides a kneejerk reaction you should attempt to investigate the subject before sharing your opinion with us.
Anon@6:53
Bombs away!!! Bombs on target!!!
So we find out the city is attempting to rid itself (not really) of functions by spinning them off to authorities. Lets see we have SPSA, the EDA and SPS to consider. All are stellar examples of productivity and efficientcy. Now Mr. Barclay wants another.
Why doesn't he go all they way and propose a broader profile of authorities. How about a Roads & Bridges Authority, a Cultural Arts Authority, a Public Utilities Authority, a Waste Collection and Disposal Authority and a Police/Fire/Rescue Authority. Think of the millions of dollars saved by our local government if we just go along with him and have a government of authorites. No one is accountable, no one to blame, no public access and no one around when it fails. Stand up Comrade Barclay and be recognized by your peers. If the SNH likes the idea that's good enough for me.
Just review the last city council meeting and you will see that is in fact how things are headed. Committees for everything has been proposed. This is little different than how they City manipulated the IDA/EDA debt on the Hilton Garden Inn a few years ago. By absorbing the HGI Debt into the General Debt Obligations of the CIty, they allowed the IDA/EDA to take on another $18,000,000 in new debt. Look for the same thing with the Airport Authority, when they go to the bond market for funds to build up an airport that will never be anything but a payground for the rich and connected. A better idea would be to privatize the operation and let someone pay a lease fee for use of the airport for some time. If it is good enough for the Golf Course, why not the Airport too?
Tim Reeves expects tremendous growth at the Executive Airport with the guidance of an authortity? Great now tell us how.
Post a Comment