PHILIPPI - A Federal
Aviation Administration representative from Beckley attended Monday's
Barbour County Commission meeting to answer questions from local
officials as the Philippi/Barbour County Regional Airport experiences a
transition in management.
Matthew DiGiulian, the
manager of the Beckley Airports Field Office, was invited to the meeting
by the commission following the resignation of six of the
Philippi/Barbour County Airport Authority members, including the
president, Dean Springer.
Prior to the meeting,
DiGiulian said he could not issue a statement to the press and would not
release his name because he was not authorized to do so. However,
DiGiulian was introduced by name and he spoke publicly at the meeting.
"My purpose for coming up
here today was primarily to just help with the transition of management
with Dean Springer stepping down as president," DiGiulian said. "There
are going to have to be some assignments that the county/Authority and
the city of Philippi are going to have to take over."
DiGiulian explained some
of the major agreements that were made when the Airport Authority
received federal funding for recent projects.
"Part of what I'm here to
do is just educate you guys on what your responsibilities are,"
DiGiulian said. Every signed agreement through which the Airport
Authority obtained federal funding had certain terms attached to it, he
said.
Barbour County
Administrator Chuck Foley asked if the sponsors of the agreement given
to the Commission were the city of Philippi and the Airport Authority.
"It really doesn't
require the signature of the County Commission," DiGiulian said. "I
haven't read the charter for the Airport Authority, so I assume there's a
county commissioner who sits on the Airport Authority. There would be
an elected president of the Airport Authority that would sign that on
behalf of the Airport Authority, not the county official.
"But I appreciate that
you guys have taken an interest," he added. "I think that's great. The
more people who are interested in what's going on up at the airport the
better. Hey, there's a lot to learn."
DiGiulian addressed parts
of the agreement, including one fund-generating idea suggested by
Commissioner Jedd Schola that has been challenged by Springer and was
later questioned by Philippi City Council.
In recent months, Schola
announced an idea that he said he believed would help generate funds for
the Airport Authority: hosting a drag race on the airport property,
which would require closing the runway.
"Sometimes an Authority or an airport sponsor can violate one of these assurances (terms) without realizing it," DiGiulian said.
Federal funding
regulations prevent the closure of an airport runway for
non-aeronautical purposes unless otherwise approved by the FAA for 20
years after the last date that airport received federal funding.
"Anytime you want to do
something on the airport that would require you to close the runway you
need our permission to do so," DiGiulian said, "and there has to be a
really good reason to close the runway. I know it's been discussed about
hosting a non-aeronautical event like drag racing or a car show or
anything you would want to do like that.
"We participate in the
airport for it to be open as an airport. Stuff like that is generally
not allowed. If you had a big field off to the side that was not needed,
you might be able to host a non-aeronautical event there because it
doesn't impact keeping the runway open, keeping it available."
DiGiulian said that
anytime the Airport Authority wants to host an event that involves or
supports flying airplanes, they may call him and he will help them
through the process of applying for that event.
In related business,
commissioners reappointed Lemuel Jones to the Airport Authority to begin
a new term after the expiration of a term he has been serving. Current
Airport Authority members include Schola, Jeff Allen, Karen Weaver,
Lemuel Jones and John Prusha.
Schola announced that the
Airport Authority bylaws have now reduced the available board
appointments from 12 members to seven members. Three members each will
be appointed by the county and the city, respectively. The other
appointment will be made at large, Schola said. Philippi City Council
has already appointed three members. The commission now has two members
on the board.
After four Airport
Authority members tendered resignations on Oct. 17, members Eric
Cutright and Eric Lawrence also resigned last month, Schola said.
The other members who
resigned are the former secretary/treasurer Alice McDonald, 20-year
member Craig Bolton and eight-year member Mike Johnson.
Schola said that member
Lemuel Jones is now serving as the interim president of the authority,
following Springer's official resignation on Dec. 31.
Source: http://www.theintermountain.com
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