Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport (KSGH) Springfield, Ohio

Airport board may change 

SPRINGFIELD —

The size of the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport Advisory Board will likely be reduced due to recent changes at the airport, according to public documents.

The board could be reduced from seven members to five, removing representation from both the Springfield Air National Guard Base and the village of Yellow Springs, if legislation is passed.

City commissioners heard legislation proposals Tuesday and will vote on the changes May 13.

“It reflects really the changing activities at the airport,” said Tom Franzen, the assistant city manager and director of economic development.

A majority of the issues in previous years were related to the Air National Guard F-16 training mission, which left the airport in 2011. Many of the residents making the complaints were from Yellow Springs, Franzen said.

“There were a lot of noise issues and complaints,” Franzen said.

The guard base’s current mission is flying the MQ-1B Predator, a remotely-piloted aircraft, or drone, which doesn’t require use of the air field.

Yellow Springs has recently had turnover in village management and hasn’t been able to attend meetings, Franzen said.

“For the most part, their role is not as active as it once was,” Franzen said. “If they’re not able to make the meetings, it makes it difficult to have a quorum.”

The board is made up of different stakeholders at the airport, including retired guardsmen, pilots and citizens. The board meets quarterly with airport manager Mick Lecocq to discuss issues and current conditions effecting the airport and recommend possible changes to the city commission, Franzen said.

Board members include local developer Kevin Loftis, former Springfield ANG base commander Ralph Anderson, local attorney Ken Rush and Champion City Flight School owner Tim Epperhart. A fifth board spot is currently vacant. The changes were recommended after the board didn’t have a enough members to for a quorum over the last six months, Loftis said.

A quorum is the minimum number of members necessary to conduct the business of a legislative group which uses parliamentary procedure.

“You can’t do too much (without it),” Loftis said.

Source:   http://www.springfieldnewssun.com