TDOT Agrees To Fully Fund Airport Maintenance Grant

TDOT has agreed to fully fund the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport’s maintenance grant.

Airport Manager Dean Selby said the state agency decided to reduce the $25,000 grant by $11,000 last month.

“I was glad to hear that. It was going to be a challenge to find how to reduce what we were were spending on maintenance,” Selby said, “and they agreed when they looked at it because we have more expenses at this airport than a lot of smaller airport. We maintain our instrument landing system, and we have a lot more lighting. There’s a lot of that stuff that we maintain and locally own that most airports don’t have to maintain themselves.”

Mayors from Cookeville, Sparta, White County, and Putnam County drafted a letter last month asking TDOT for an explanation. Selby said TDOT reversed course after an “informal” appeal process took place.

“I think it just kind of fell through the cracks I don’t think it was intentional,” Selby said. “I think it was one of those things that after review they looked at it and went, ‘well, yeah we are impacting them drastically’.”

The airport spends about $80,000 in maintenance each year. Selby said the $25,000 serves as a supplement to help pay for certain project.