EDITOR:
The "Rural Community Airport" of the future...
Mr. Garvin, of Residents for a Rural Community Airport, in his letter of Nov. 24, made statements which I feel need to be addressed.
He states, "The margin of victory would have been much greater but for one airport businessman who continuously published costly ads in opposition, which were, in my opinion, a masterpiece of disinformation and deception motivated by self-interest."
In my opinion, the ordinance would have easily been defeated if the proponents had properly admitted and informed the public of the provisions of Section 3 of the ordinance. Section 3 allows the commissioners to:
1) Increase the weight bearing capacities of taxiways and ramps to conform to the weight bearing capacity of the runways without the voters consent. This allows the commissioner to change the weight limit at the airport from the 30,000/50,000 pounds prior to passage of the new ordinance, and the 60,000/75,000 requested by the FAA, to a value in excess of 100,000 pounds without the approval of the voters.
2) Seek funding from the FAA to increase the weight bearing capacities of the taxiways and ramps to meet that of the runways without the approval of the voters.
Many of those who voted for the ordinance were probably unaware of this provision.
He states, "So now we have an enforceable airport ordinance and the citizens finally have control."
What he fails to mention is the original ordinance addressed the maximum weight limit which was determined by the weight bearing capacity of the taxiways and ramps. With the passage of the ordinance the commissioners can now upgrade these weight capacities to that of the runways without the consent of the voters. The weight control issue has been taken from the voters and granted to the commissioners.
In closing he states, "this new ordinance will work as to any further airport issue requiring voter approval."
Again he fails to mention that the weight issue no longer needs voter approval.
I don't believe one needs to be a Nostradamus, or an Edgar Cayce, to foresee the following series of events which the county will try to expedite to preclude the possibility of the ordinance being overturned through the initiative process or some other legal process.
1) Due to the controversy over the validity of the past engineering studies of the airport, the commissioners will take up the offer of the FAA to provide a new study.
2) Upon completion of the study the commissioners will seek grant money from the FAA to upgrade the taxiways and ramps to meet the findings for the runways under this new study.
3) The commissioners, upon getting approval from the FAA for the grant money, will now proceed to upgrade the taxiways and ramps.
4) With the new weight limit of over 100,000 pounds, efforts to attract the larger aircraft will be increased in hopes of getting additional revenue.
5) With the increase in the usage by the larger aircraft the desired "Rural Community Airport", with the soaring and sports aircraft, will cease to exist.
Sanford E. Deyo
Minden
