0:13 → 1:18(1m 5s)
Chairs and members troubleshoot audio and call the informational hearing to order; Representative Horn notes Ranking Member Cheeseman is absent due to a family death and the chairs extend condolences.
Consultants presented a study on redevelopment options for Hartford Brainerd Airport to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding informational hearing. They recommended a targeted partial closure — removing the crosswind runway (Runway 11-29) and developing ~17–18 acres for light industrial/flex uses to shore up airport finances and fund runway improvements; full airport closure and large-scale residential redevelopment were judged financially infeasible given remediation, floodplain and market constraints. The committee held extensive Q&A on FAA approval, remediation costs, community impacts and the role of the CT AeroTech School; no formal vote was taken.
