News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The need for additional parking at the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport turned into a discussion at Tuesday’s Board Meeting about the need for an airport master plan.
Airport Director Dean Selby said the board needs to look at buying property surrounding the airport sooner rather than later because the price will increase. Board Member Denny Wayne Robinson said the municipalities would need to see the airport’s vision before they could consider helping in acquiring property.
“I am looking at it still from a standpoint that we need to look at what we need,” Robinson said. “We need the road the farther property and some of it and we need the parking lot will be done at the end and I think we need a package.”
Board Member Laurin Wheaton said Cookeville City Council would need to see prices and logistics before the council could consider helping the airport acquire property. The board agreed that Selby should look into engineering firms that could help develop a master plan.
Selby said Airport Engineer Richard Rinks has done a study showing which properties are available and which ones are not. Robinson said he has spoken to a land owner potentially interested in selling a 13-acre property for additional parking.
“I’ve been asked not to put the price of it out in a public meeting,” Robinson said. “Obviously you can’t vote to buy something without knowing the price. I mean I understand the catch-22 here but he will need to give the price himself.”
Robinson said the owner does not want to come out with a price publicly unless the board is fairly confident that they would buy the property.
Selby said there is a property north of the airport that is not developed at the moment but the owner may develop on the property. Selby said T-DOT is currently working on trying to acquire the property for the airport as the airport would eventually need it to meet its growth.
“They have been talking about building a house and if they do then they come back to the airport and to the sponsors and go you are in violation of the ground assurances you have to buy this or you got to figure it out and right now they are willing to help us control it before,” Selby said. “We pointed that out and when Richard did the last ALP we pointed that out like hey we don’t own this even though we are supposed to.”
Board Member Jerry Lowery said the price is needed before the board can consider purchasing a property.
“Bottom line it’s an open meeting and we have to have the numbers in public,” Lowery said. “You can cut it any way you want to but you have to have it.”
Selby said the state allows the counties surrounding an airport can implement a zoning ordinance to protect properties from development by current property owners but currently an ordinance is not in place.
In other business, the board approved a quote for general liability insurance. Selby said currently the insurance cost is $7,803 and the new approved quote is $11,393. Selby said the current company quoted a cheaper price but did not disclose the policies.
Selby said he had trouble receiving quotes from insurance companies as most airports are rejected by insurance companies due to claims. Selby said fortunately the airport does not have any claims. Selby said the insurance will be through Old Republic which is a company the airport has used before but through a different broker. Selby said the board needed to decide on a plan as the insurance would roll over on November 18th.
Selby said the airport’s snow plow that the board purchased last year should arrive on November 19th. The board approved end-of-year bonuses for airport employees.
