Federal Aviation Administration Investigating Complaints About Oakdale Airport (O27), Stanislaus County, California

The Federal Aviation Administration San Francisco Airports District Office has informed the City of Oakdale it has received complaints that the Laughlin Road airport may be violating portions of its grants assurances sections as it applies to the condition and operation of the facility.

In a letter obtained by The Leader, FAA Airport Compliance Specialist Robert Lee informed Oakdale City Manager Bryan Whitemyer on April 14 that it had received a complaint from “Mr. William J. Bradford” about four violations of three separate grant assurance sections regarding economic nondiscrimination, operations and maintenance, and fee and rental structure.

Bradford, a veteran pilot, has been a vocal critic of the airport and its operation over the years.

Violations Alleged
 
When airports accept funds from FAA-administered financial assistance programs, they must agree to certain obligations or assurances. These obligations require the recipients to maintain and operate their facilities safely and in accordance with FAA specified conditions.

Since 2000, the City of Oakdale has accepted over $2.8 million in federal grant funding under the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program.

A portion of the informal complaint questions that the city is allowing Sierra West Airlines the use of airport facilities for non-aeronautical purposes such as parking and business operations that do not relate to the airport.

“Non-aeronautical use of the airport designated land must be reviewed and approved by the FAA,” the letter states. “The alleged actions by the Airport…do not meet FAA’s policy of operating a federally obligated airport for the benefit of civil aviation.”

The complaint also conveyed that the airport is poorly maintained to include worn out gates, major tarmac damage and poor patching of the asphalt, and the existence of unpaved areas. The FAA cautions the city that if the issues exist and have not been corrected, the city would be in non-compliance of the grant assurances.

The final concern regards “Economic Nondiscrimination” that contends the airport may not be meeting the requirement to make the airport as self-sustaining as possible where airport revenue must be used only for the operation and maintenance of the airport.

Lee instructed the city to provide a response to the allegations within 15 days.

For the full article, including the city’s response and other discoveries during the course of this story, read the July 30 edition of The Leader

- Source:  http://www.oakdaleleader.com