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Commission hears airport manager on grant swap, receives parks‑plan pitch; multiple routine resolutions and appointments approved
Summary
Airport manager Rita Haslam explained a TDOT NPE fund transfer that reduced local match for a parking‑lot project; consultants presented a parks-and-recreation master‑plan timeline and grant options; commissioners approved a slate of appointments and procedural resolutions, while several money‑related resolutions were pulled pending the county budget.
Benton County commissioners spent the latter portion of the meeting on operational items: an airport funding explanation, a presentation on parks and recreation planning and multiple routine resolutions and appointments.
Airport manager Rita Haslam explained that Tennessee Aeronautics had asked the county to accept about $92,597 of nonprimary entitlement (NPE) funds because another airport (Fayette County) faced losing its allocation. Haslam said taking the funds lowered the county’s local share for a parking-lot rehabilitation from $25,650 to $11,787 and described the transfer as a savings: “This does not cost us anything. If anything, this is a large savings for our county,” she said.
Consultants from GGM Recreation and Parks Advisory Group described a proposed countywide parks and recreation master plan, saying the process would take roughly five to six months and highlighting grant opportunities including the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Recreational Trails Program, local parks-and-rec grants (LPRF) and potential BlueCross BlueShield support. The consultants said a master plan can increase readiness for grant applications due in late 2026 and early 2027.
On routine business, the commission approved minutes, the public‑utilities report and a number of appointments to the Benton County Office on Aging/Senior Center Committee and other boards. The chair noted several resolutions that involved county money were pulled because the 2026–27 budget had not yet been adopted.
What happens next: the county will move forward with the airport parking project with a reduced local match and the mayor said he would provide materials on the parks‑plan proposal to commissioners for further consideration; most appointments and non-budgeted resolutions were approved during the meeting.
