Pickens County updates: GDOT clears notice to proceed for airport FBO; county outlines compliance, leases and new airport manager

County staff updated the board on multiple developments at Pickens County Airport, including a recent authorization from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) that allows the county to issue a notice to proceed for the airport fixed-base operator (FBO) contract.

Staff said the original contract for the FBO had been awarded on July 25, 2024, to NPSG Development LLC in connection with airport authority activity before the county assumed operations. The contract amount cited in the meeting was $2,265,000. Staff reported there is a GDOT grant of $1,000,000 tied to the project, with $750,000 of that amount coming from GDOT under the grant formula; staff said that federal and state grant formulas and reimbursements over subsequent years would reduce the county's net cost and that reimbursements over the next several years could bring county exposure closer to $600,000.

Staff said the airport assumption included all contracts, leases and compliance obligations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and GDOT. A county attorney/staff member briefed commissioners on short-term compliance priorities: responding to complaints, reviewing lease premises, and auditing existing lease terms and permitted uses. Staff noted the airport contains a mix of facilities: about 61 standard twin-size hangars and 14 storage units, three box hangars, and 17 land-lease hangars where tenants construct private hangars on county-leased land (leases that were described as reverting to the county after 30 years under current language).

Staff also discussed outstanding technical issues tied to the AWOS (automated weather observing system) tower and said the long-term AWOS construction/relocation questions remain subject to FAA responses. The county indicated it held a meeting with the awarded builder and that the GDOT-required pre-construction meeting must occur before the county can issue the formal notice to proceed. With scheduling and weather caveats, staff estimated the facility could be operational by late May or early June.

At the meeting, staff announced the result of an interview process: Stacy McClure has been named Pickens County's airport manager. Staff said McClure had worked on airport finance matters during the transition and was chosen after a national recruitment and interviews because of her local knowledge and experience with grants and FAA processes.

County staff said they would return to the board with lease reviews, a consistent process for tenant improvements and use-change requests, and recommended minimum standards and enforcement pathways under county stewardship of the airport.