PITTSTON TWP. — The Bi-County Airport Board plans to choose 25-year Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport Director Barry Centini’s replacement by Nov. 1.
Ideally, that will give his successor a chance to start in December and pick Mr. Centini’s brain before he retires in January, Lackawanna County solicitor Donald Frederickson said at Thursday’s airport board meeting.
The board appointed ADK Executive Search to conduct a 90-day search for Mr. Centini’s successor for a fee not to exceed $33,000 plus $9,000 in estimated expenses. The firm specializes in airport executive searches.
Board member Robert Lawton is looking for a vision for how the Pittston Twp. airport can expand into other markets in Mr. Centini’s replacement.
“Barry Centini has done a fantastic job with the facility, with attracting Allegiant and he has brought this airport to a whole new level,” said Mr. Lawton, Luzerne County manager. “I ... will be looking for another person who will take us competitively to the next level up and put us in a position to really challenge some of the other area airports.”
In other business:
• Citing the need for more time to gather information and review the decision, the board tabled choosing Borton-Lawson Engineering to conduct engineering and environmental work in advance of demolishing the old, 55-year-old airport terminal for up to $180,000.
The plan is to raze the facility that Joseph M. McDade Terminal replaced in 2006, pave the area and provide more space for commercial airline parking, Assistant Airport Director Michael Conner said.
Luzerne County Councilman Rick Williams asked the administration to try to include construction services in the contract to lock in a price before the work to improve the airport’s negotiating position for the second phase of the project.
Airport officials hope to demolish the building before the end of the year, and Mr. Conner said tabling the decision could push the project into next year, although he acknowledged the delay would not effect about $1.1 million in Federal Aviation Administration grant funding.
• The airport board agreed to ask Lackawanna and Luzerne counties to initiate eminent domain proceedings to acquire an undeveloped 5.16 acres adjacent to the runway area from Paramount Land Group for an extension of the taxiway.
Planes use the taxiway to travel between the terminal and runway. The project will give airplanes a more efficient path during takeoffs and landings to improve runway traffic flow, Mr. Conner said.
Mr. Williams expressed concern the airport spent $1.15 million on L.R. Kimball’s design services before owning the land it needed for the project, and if the board cannot take control of the land, he worried the airport will have blown the money.
Mr. Conner said airport officials have been negotiating to buy the land, but the pace has been slow. The airport has been on a tight timeline to finish the project before grant money expires, he said.
• The airport board approved agreements with Minnesota-based Smarte Carte for massage chairs at the airport for a flat fee of $115 then $120 in the second and third years; Desman Associates to survey, test and evaluate the parking garage’s maintenance needs for $25,071; La Plume Twp.-based Prime Media to erect a billboard with two lighted, 14 foot by 48 foot sign faces that will display an airport sign and advertising; and True Aviation to continue to lease office space at the aviation center for $17.92 per square foot, a 5 percent increase.
Source: http://thetimes-tribune.com
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