Oakland County’s infrastructure committee on Jan. 8 approved multiple airport-related items that county staff said will preserve navigation services, improve pavement near hangars and resolve a halted land-lease arrangement.

Cheryl, an airport staff presenter, described a memorandum of agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to allow the FAA to install and maintain navigation, communication and weather-aid equipment at Oakland County International Airport in Waterford Township. Cheryl said there is no exchange of money in the agreement and that losing the FAA arrangement would eliminate critical navigation aids for the airport. The committee approved forwarding the memorandum to the board.

On a separate item, Cheryl described a Michigan Department of Transportation IIJA grant for the Oakland/Troy Airport: a $1,255,000 project to reconstruct deteriorated taxi lanes and adjacent aprons that provide access to t-hangars. The grant was described as flexible under IIJA rules and does not require a local match; staff said work will begin in spring.

The committee also considered rescinding Resolution 2025-6037_25-40, a land-lease addendum with Mr. Hanger LLC, after the developer’s president said the owner changed course and would not proceed with construction of the planned parking lot. Staff explained the tenant had used some terminal parking as overflow and sought additional dedicated parking; commissioners questioned the optics of rescinding a recently approved item but the motion to rescind carried.

What happens next: The FAA MOA and MDOT grant move forward per staff recommendation; rescinded lease material will be removed from the current agreements and parties may return with a new request when ready.