Residents dispute FAA mandate for airport fence as council awards airport rehabilitation bid

Several residents urged the Lock Haven City Council to reconsider proposed fencing at the municipal airport and disputed council members’ repeated statements that the Federal Aviation Administration mandated new perimeter fencing.

Resident Niles Mansouris told the council he had spoken with Mark Matlock of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Aviation and was told the FAA had not mandated additional fencing. “The FAA did not mandate additional fencing,” Mansouris said. “The only thing that the FAA is mandating is a through‑the‑fence agreement with the hangar owners, which choose to come and have access to the airport.” He also said a previous council statement that the fence “won’t cost the city a penny” was inaccurate, noting the typical through‑the‑fence grant is a 90/10 split and the city would be responsible for the 10 percent share and incidental project costs.

Other members of the public, including property owners who rent hangars, urged the council to negotiate leases and said they had not received a residential through‑the‑fence contract to review and sign. One commenter said existing fencing appeared FAA‑compliant and warned of a costly “fence‑within‑a‑fence” option that would constrain airport operations.

Council business that followed included two airport‑related agenda items. Council voted to approve a short‑term use request by Sentimental Journey (a community event) to use property south of the airport for an event on June 19–20, subject to consent from Tangent Energy, coordination with utility work, and public‑safety conditions from staff. City staff told the council Tangent and its contractor had agreed to allow use for this year’s event only and that PPL had scheduled its contractor; the city had not yet received a response from UGI regarding construction work on the parcel.

The council also considered bids for the 2026 LHB access program — work to rehabilitate the road and parking area adjacent to the airport. Airport consultants McFarland Johnson recommended award to the lowest responsive bidder, Dave Cutilis Excavating, including the base bid and an alternate, with the award made contingent on approval of BOA and FAA grant funding. The council approved the award on a recorded roll call.

The council and commenters repeatedly emphasized that any physical fencing or infrastructure changes are tied to grant conditions and agreements with hangar owners, and that the city’s share of any project costs would not be zero. Mansouris told the council he was willing to sign a “reasonable” through‑the‑fence contract if one were provided.

The council did not adopt a final policy on perimeter fencing at the meeting; public comment and staff updates indicated follow‑up work remains, including finalizing agreements with hangar owners and completing grant documentation prior to construction.