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Tri County Airport seeks paving and infrastructure help to attract hangars, jobs
Summary
Tri County Airport Authority representatives asked the Holmes County commission to help pave 0.9 miles of road into the airport, support regulatory compliance costs and consider providing a crew vehicle to improve access for visiting pilots and prospective tenants. Commissioners directed staff to explore funding and engineering options.
Representatives of the Tri County Airport Authority on Wednesday asked Holmes County commissioners to help upgrade access and infrastructure at the airport so the authority can attract hangar tenants and aviation businesses.
"We want economic growth in this area. We want good jobs in this area for our citizens," said Rob, a representative of the Tri County Airport Authority. He told commissioners the airport now averages about 78 operations a day, maintains a waiting list for hangars and is seeing interest from operators outside the immediate region.
The airport requested three forms of county assistance: county consideration to pave roughly 0.9 miles of Tri County Airport Road that remains dirt; county participation again in regulatory-compliance cost sharing the airport has received in the past; and help securing or donating a "crew car" — a loaner vehicle for visiting crews and tenants.
"We ask you guys to please consider that 9 tenths of a mile of road," Rob said, explaining that prospective tenants are reluctant to build expensive hangars if the access road remains unpaved.
Commissioners discussed funding avenues and engineering studies. County Commissioner John Feeney and planning staff suggested coordinating with the Florida Department of Transportation and applying together to FDOT's five-year planning programs or to other state job-growth and grant programs. John (planning staff) later said he would contact Opportunity Florida and the job growth grant fund as a possible source for runway/road/hangar development funding.
County Coordinator David Corbin asked staff to investigate paving options and to pursue collective requests with the airport for FDOT funding; a motion to have Corbin look into the matter was moved and seconded, and commissioners supported researching costs and funding opportunities.
Airport representatives also requested permission to donate or transfer a county vehicle to serve as a crew car; commissioners agreed in principle and directed staff to address insurance and surplus-vehicle procedures.
The airport thanked the board for prior grant support from the Federal Aviation Administration and FDOT and for past county help paying a share of regulatory compliance costs. Officials said recent improvements include a new parking lot, signage and an electrical vault that reduced operational constraints.
Commissioners directed the county coordinator to coordinate engineering cost estimates and grant options with the airport authority and FDOT as a first step.
