Franklin County approves filing for $2.5 million airport grant, OKs hangar lease and moves funds to Haney hangar work

Franklin County commissioners voted Feb. 4 to authorize submission of a $2.5 million Florida Commerce Job Growth Grant for the Franklin County Airport and to approve a license agreement to lease the former Burgher hangar to Phil Shelley.

The actions, approved in unanimous votes during the board’s regular meeting, are intended to bolster a planned hangar complex and terminal work that county staff and airport leaders say could generate revenue and support local economic development. Interim Airport Manager Steve Kirschenbaum told the board the airport operations and economic development board had voted unanimously to recommend filing the grant and that the county could leverage roughly $2.3 million in FDOT support as a match to reach approximately $4.8 million for the project if state appropriations are secured.

"We are asking permission to submit the grant," Kirschenbaum said. "If we get this grant, we'll have 4.8 million toward the project, and the hanger project will be an income-producing project for the airport."

The commission also approved a license agreement to lease the former Burgher hangar (hangar 13) to Phil Shelley at market rent. Kirschenbaum described the rent as $1,100 per month initially, rising to $1,500 when a temporary county office is vacated, and said surrounding airports earn higher per-square-foot rates for different hangar uses; the board approved the lease on a 5-0 vote.

Separately, the board authorized moving $24,856 of insurance settlement proceeds into the Haney Hangar renovation budget after staff reported exterior maintenance items — cypress window trim, siding, gutters and screening around HVAC units — were not included in the original contract. Fiscal Manager Erin Griffith said the outlay would address immediate deficiencies and brought the item forward so construction could continue without delay.

The grant filing, lease execution and budget transfer are next steps in a multi-part effort that also includes pursuit of federal and state appropriations, continued engagement with FDOT and the Federal Aviation Administration, and outreach to private tenants as part of the airport’s business plan. The airport manager said he would return to the commission with documentation of comparable rates and FAA/FDOT assurances.

Action record: The board voted 5-0 to authorize filing the $2.5 million Florida Commerce Job Growth Grant; a separate 5-0 vote approved the license agreement to lease the former Burgher hangar to Phil Shelley; and the board approved moving insurance proceeds for Haney Hangar repairs as part of consent action items.