Pickens County commissioners approve airport capital plan, stop sign and two rezones; OK surplus gear and holiday calendar

PICKENS COUNTY, Ga. — The Pickens County Commission on Oct. 20 approved a five‑year airport capital improvement plan and several other measures including paving an apron for a tenant at the county airport, installing a new 4‑way stop at a rural intersection, and transferring surplus firefighting equipment to a volunteer department.

The actions, taken at the county commission’s regular meeting, also included approval of two rezoning requests (one with a condition that a one‑acre parcel be added to an existing lot and an additional access restriction), adoption of the 2026 holiday calendar, and the formal surplus of older rescue tools. County staff presented a quarterly finance report and the 9‑1‑1 office presented its third‑quarter activity highlights.

The airport items were central to the meeting. Commissioners approved a recommendation from staff for a Black Sport Aviators tenant to pave an apron at the county airport and also voted to adopt the airport’s five‑year capital improvement plan, which the county must file with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to remain eligible for state and federal funding. The plan lists a 2027 terminal reimbursement of $432,000 (entitlement plus AIP/AIG funds), $150,000 allocations in 2028–2031 for certain projects, land acquisition/obstruction removal in 2028, a taxiway overlay in 2030 with a roughly $1.3 million AIP federal estimate, and a runway overlay in 2031. The five‑year package shows about $750,000 in federal entitlement funds, $5,892,000 in AIP/AIG federal funds, $1,061,666 in state share and $571,668 in local share across the…