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Council approves FAA/ODOT airport ramp design grant application after split vote

Middletown City Council · April 8, 2026

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Summary

Council voted to authorize application and grant agreement for a ramp‑expansion design at Middletown Regional Airport despite objections that spending design money should wait for a strategic plan; the resolution passed with a divided vote and will proceed as a non‑emergency measure for regular consideration.

Council considered Resolution R2026‑09 on April 7, authorizing the city manager to apply for a Federal Aviation Administration and Ohio Department of Transportation aviation grant to fund design work for a ramp extension at Middletown Regional Airport.

Council Member Watley (identified in the transcript as expressing strong opposition) urged caution, arguing the city should finalize its strategic planning direction for the airport before accepting design‑phase federal money. Watley warned the city could “handcuff” its future options and spend taxpayer dollars on design work that may not match the strategy council later chooses. He also cited ongoing maintenance needs at the airport and questioned whether the investment in design represents the best use of limited funds.

Council Member West and others said they were comfortable pursuing a design phase to preserve grant opportunities and provide the city time to evaluate options. Mayor Elizabeth Slamka said she was open to updating the airport master plan and viewed the design grant as compatible with revisiting strategic direction. In a brief tally after discussion, the resolution passed in regular form (it did not achieve emergency status); the vote was split, with at least two members recorded as voting against the emergency designation but the measure moving forward in standard form.

Why it matters: The grant would pay for design work that positions the city to pursue future construction funding and influence how the regional airport is used (from transient refueling operations toward possible economic gateway uses). Opponents said the city should align major design or construction work with a refreshed strategic plan before accepting design grants.

Next steps: Because the measure passed for regular consideration rather than as an emergency, staff and council will proceed with the grant application and associated design work while continuing planning discussions. Council members asked staff to revisit the airport master plan and monitor project costs and local matching requirements cited in internal emails.