County approves early hangar-lease termination, permits Haney temporary storage and authorizes $500,000 airport cleanup project

Franklin County commissioners on Dec. 17 approved changes to airport leasing and authorized a major cleanup and remarketing effort for county airport facilities.

Interim Airport Manager Steve Kirschenbaum told the board that CAAZ, Inc. donated hangar contents to Tom P. Haney Technical College and requires up to 60 days to clear the former hangar. The board approved a modified early termination of the 20-year hangar lease and a one-page agreement allowing Haney temporary use for storage, voting unanimously (5-0).

Kirschenbaum also asked the board to authorize Chairman Ricky Jones to sign off on an Airport Clean and remarketing project. County staff said the project will not begin until the Florida Department of Transportation issues a notice to proceed; the board authorized the chairman to execute the project, which staff described as a $500,000 effort to clean the airport and support remarketing. The board motion carried 5-0.

Kirschenbaum thanked County Coordinator Michael Morón for assistance with other lease issues and noted the airshow cost roughly $100,000 and generated similar fundraising, which he said offset event costs. Commissioners asked staff to return in January with additional vendor estimates and to proceed with scheduling related work items, including hangar cleanup bidding and review of contractor estimates for the Haney hangar removal.

The board also discussed hangar naming conventions and advised staff to rely on the master plan numbering system for identifying hangars to avoid potential conflicts when naming facilities after individuals.

Next steps: staff to return at the first January meeting with contractor estimates and any required paperwork to proceed with hangar cleanup and removal; FDOT notice to proceed remains the condition precedent for the $500,000 project to begin.