## FAA complaint 

## filed against 

## city; eviction notices delivered -The Wetumpka Herald: 

## News Page 1

## of 2



# FAA

# complaint

# filed against 

# city; eviction notices delivered

Kevin Tayfor - 

## Copy 

## Editor I 

## Posted: Sunday, September 9, 2012 

## 4:00 am
On the same 

### day after 

## their attomey

## filed an 

## FAA complaint against 

### the 

## City of Wetumpka, all but

one 

## client was served 

## with an 

## eviction notice.



## This is

## just another chapter 

## in an

## ongoing dispute between the 

## City of Wetumpka and 

### tenants

# of four hangars at

### the 

## Wetumpka 

## Municipal Airport. McDonough Properties, managed 

## by David Ramsey; 

## M&R Holdings, managed 

## by Roger 

## Kemp; 

## Tri-D, owned 

## by Theresa 

## Harvey and managed 

## by her 

### husband 

## Richard Chaput; and 

## Col. 

## Frank ' 

## Bamett 

## filed a 

## complaint against 

### the 

## City of Wetumpka on

## Aug. 29, according to

## their attorney Wade Ramsey.

The 

## complainants say

### the 

## city is

## failing to 

## provide a 

## long-term rental lease 

### under the 

## stipulations of an 

## FAA grant assurance.


## Further in the 

## complaint, 

## it contends the 

## city is 

## not doing 

## what 

## it can 

## to make 

## it a

## viable, 

## working airport under the 

## stipulations of another 

## FAA grant assurance.


## "The airport is 

## not 

## living up

## to its obligations under the grant assurance," Wade Ramsey said.



## But that may not be 

## entirely true.

The 

## city council recently gave 

### the 

## OK to remove 

## old fuel tanks, repair the 

## parking 

## lot and 

## put up

new 

## fencing at 

### the 

## airport. 

## "Why would we put money into the 

## airport 

## if we were going 

## to close 

## it or move 

## it?" Wetumpka 

## Mayor Jerry

## Willis asked.



### The biggest bone 

## of contention among the hangar tenants and 

### the 

## City of Wetumpka seems 

## to be 

### the 

## lack of a 

## long-term lease.


## In December 

## 2007, Wade Ramsey 

## notihed the 

## FAA Airports District Office in Jackson, 

## Miss., 

# of

a 

### discrepancy 

## regarding the 

## lack 

## of long-team leases at 

### the 

## municipal airport.

The

## district office returned a 

### letter to the 

## city in September 

### 2011 agreeing

## with Ramsey.



## Two months later, the 

## Wetumpka 

## City Council approved an 

### ordinance 

## to change 

### the standard lease 

### agreement at

### the 

## airport to one

### year.


## Prior to the change, 

### the lease agreement 

### was

## for ftve years.


## About the same

## time, the 

## council also supported a

## feasibility study 

## to be 

### done at 

### the 

## airport

http://www.thewetumpkaherald.com/news/article_242b96fA-$76-11e1-95aa-001a4bcf887... 11/8/2012

## FAA complaint 

## filed against 

## city; eviction notices delivered -The Wetumpka Herald: 

## News Pase2 

## of 2



## through the

## Alabama Departrnent 

## of Transportation's Aeronautics Bureau. 

## "(The study) should 

## tell us

## if it is

## functional and 

### getting the biggest bang

## for our 

## buck 

## for all departments and 

## meeting the needs 

## of our 

## citizens," 

## Willis said. 

## "Right now 

## I don't know what 

## it's going to say."


## In late 

## March 

## Dr. John Eagerton, 

## director of the

## Alabama Department 

## of Transportation,s Aeronautios 

## Bureau, and 

### Ryan Reed and 

## Mike Griffin of Garvin Engineers were on 

### hand 

## during

an 

## informational meeting to

## talk aboutthe purpose 

## of the study.


## "We're responsible 

## for determining 

## if it would be 

### more 

## cost-effective to expandthe 

## existing airport or 

## build a

## different airport at 

### another 

## location," Eagerton said. 

## "We need

## to 

## find out 

## what 

## will best serve 

### the needs 

## ofboth general 

## aviation, corporate 

## aviation and 

### the

## public."

The study 

## is scheduled 

## to be 

### completed sometime 

## in November, and

### then later presented 

### to the 

## Elmore County Economic Development 

## Authority and

### the 

## city. 

## "It might say

### the 

## airport is 

### meeting the needs 

## of the 

## community the 

## way 

## it operates 

## right now or 

## it
may say 

### something 

## totally different," 

## Willis added.


## Still there is 

### the 

## complaint, 

## which has 

### not been 

### docketed yet

## with the 

## FAA.

The 

## complaint also comes 

### on the heels 

## of a 

### response 

## letter in June 

## from the Jackson, 

## Miss., 

## FAA District Office which sided

## with the 

## city.

In the response 

## letter, 

## "it does 

### not appear 

### the 

## City of Wetumpka, owner of the 

## Wetumpka 

## Municipal 

## Airport, is 

## currently in con

## with its federal 

## obligations."
Further 

## it encouraged Ramsey 

## "to continue to

## work with the 

## city to resolve any outstanding 

## matters."

But there 

## doesn't seem

## to be 

### any more 

## negotiating 

## leftfollowing the

## filing of the 

## complaint and the 

## notice 

## of evictions.


## "The city

## will not speak

## to me," Ramsey said. 

## "The city could have saved a 

## lot of time and 

## legal fees had they

## just sat 

## down and 

### talked to 

## us."

Sincethe

## filing of the 

## complaint, the 

## city has 

### retained attorney Joseph

## A. Jemison 

## of 

## Wilmer 

# &
Lee 

## in 

## Huntsville to represent the 

## city.


## Willis has 

## called a 

### special meeting 

## of the 

## council Monday at 

## I p.m. 

## to address 

### the issue.



### httn://www.thewetumnkaherald.com/news/article 242b96f4-f97 6-11e 

### 1-95aa-001a4bcf887... 111812012'.i

## l: ' ni t: iii 

# 4p,fi1,{,, F.:rl,{_i;'t,fi*'=--'



# 2O:Tffi.

' .J.:- -.,:..i

. . :ri i:;:. :l'.:.-'. t :i:..'i"1'1;fi',;'i'i 

# Vo

':.ti



## in bringing 

### the study about. 

### Eagerton revealed

## that Mask approached 

### him 

### in 2010 

### with the icJea

## of 'expandng 

### or relocating' 

### the Wetumpka 

### Airport. Eagerton said he advised Mask that thecity council would need

### to rcq-rest his 

### bureau

## to conduct

## the study. Eagerton said he 'sharcs avision' 

### with Mask about the airport. Irr Decernber 2010, Bany Mask 

### advocated

## for the 

## City of Wetumpka's approval of an assessment, orfeasibility stucly regarrtng the expzursion 

### or possible reloca

### tion 

### of the Wetumpka 

### Airporl.At the tirne Mask told the Wetumpka 

### City Councii that the study was a 

### critical step 

## in .&termining the

. future of the Weturnpka Municipal Airport. The council approved the qtudy 

### for a 

## prie tag 

## of up to $150,000. Eagerton explained

### that stucly 

### will weigh the cost effectiveness 

### of expanding the cunent airport's ntnway 

### td 5,000 

### ft. or relocating to a new site. Expansion of the runway 

## is generally considered

## to be impossible. 

### Critics 

## of the study say that relocation 

### is the ultimate goal. 

### Slides and graphs shown throughout the presentation painted apicture of expansive economic 

### grcwth 

### fotlowing

## a modern airporl. Accoding 

### to Eagerton many insruzurce policies 

### will not permit jet aircraftto lnndon arunway less than 5,000 

### ft. M:uk and Eagerton stated during 

### the meeting 

### that a runway 

### of that lengthwould be a gateway

## to potential economic activily of more than $18 

### million. According 

## to ligures the Wettimpka 

### Airport completes an average 

### of 108 operations per day. WithSzEo of thattrafrc being transient andonly l87o local. Eagerton said that the Wetumpka 

### Airport is 

### the 

## llth busiest 

## in the state not munting airports that handle major caniers or leceivers. With numbers 

### like that many 

### of the critics qrestioned the need

### for expanding the runway 

### in thefirst place. The qowd of morc thzur 50, was standing room only 

### in the Ehnore County Board 

### of EcLtcation board 

### looln throughout 

### the rneeting. 

### Mask attempted

### to conclude the meeting without taking umy cluestions 

### fiom the public, butthat did not 

### sit well with the urajority 

### of the crcwd, many 

### of whom were pilots that use the airport. 

### 'The rneeting 

### is ovel'," Mask 

### said Mask 

### adH. "Therc 

### rvill be 

### opportunities 

## for pubiic input Iater." During a brief di.scussion after 

### the meeting 

### one self-identified 

### pilot said

### that the study outline lacked specificity and was more 

### of
a 'sales

### job.'Another 

### pilot, Gary Cook, said of the lack of specifics, "You 

### won't

### tell us anything. You won't let us ask questions. You are 

## just like Nancy 

### Pelosi saying 'we'11

### tell you what 

### is 

### in the

### bill afterwe pass

### it."'

# 3-g'1L- 

# -l

Mi I I

### brook



## Previous leases 

## not in

## federal, state 

## compliance



# ELECT 

# Wetumpka explains changes

# to

# airport leases

By 

### BRIAN HODGE News 

### Editor
bri an @n illbrooki ndep endent.com

In arecent article, The Millbrcok Independenl repofted

### that Dave Ramsey. 

## a pilot and property
owner 

### at the Wetumpka Airport, claimed Wetumpka 

### Mayor Jerry 

## Wllis had 

### political motivations for some recent changes

### to airport regulaions. 

## A new lease agree

## ment, which 

## the 

## City of Wetumpka compels property owners

### to sign, drops from 

### a l0-year terrn (with afive-year renewal) to a l-year term, according to Ramsey. Ramsey saidthat the reason the term has been loweredis to retaliale against

### him and other pilots who protestedan assessment study, which they believe 

### is designed to relocate the aitport. Ramsey says 

### the ailport has historical significance and should be presen'ed and 

### improved Representative Greg Wren, 

### in whose le_gislafive dstrict the aiqport is located, madesimilar comments

## to The 

### hdy a few months ago. "Studies are important, but their 

### is such obvious need at 

### this airport. 

### This

### is a diamond 

### in your
own backyarrC," Wren said According to the Elmore County Economic Development Authority @CEDA), the airport property has 

### far greater value as an indrstrial park. The 

### City of Wetumpka contracts 

### with ECEDA 

### for services with regards to economic develop

### ment. Barry lvlask. Executive Director 

### of ECEDA, said that he 

### has reccived numerous requests 

### fromthe Alabarna Development Office seeking prospective sites for industries interested 

### in moving to the state. Mask says that in

### all of 

## Elmore 

## County

## oniy the Wetumpka

### Airport property met the reqrirements for at least thee major projects. Mask, "vho is also a member

### of 

## the Alabama 

## House of Representatives,

### went

## to the 

### Wetumpka 

## City Councii in December 

### 2010 and urged the 

### council 

## to pass

## a resolution 

### requesting the Alabama 

### Depafiment 

### of Transportation (ALDOT) 

### to condrct. 

### the aiqport
assessmenr study.

### The study is budgeted

## for up

## to $150,000. Mask saidthat the study was criti

### cal and guessed

## tha the srudy would be completed by the falt 

### of 2011. 

## It still has 

### not officially 

### star(e{ though 

### city officals say they hope to Stat soon. 

### Willis declined

### to respond personally

### to 'I.he 

### Indy refemng to 

## city attomey Regina Edwards, Without denying 

### or even ad&ess

### ing Ranrsey's arcusation directly, &hvarct says, 'The 

### City plans to

use the Standard L,easewith a oneyear 

### term temporariiy

## to allow time for an assessment study of the Wetumpka Airport 

### to be done by 

## Alabama Department of Transportation Aeronautics' i Division and for 

### it to be evaiuated' by the City." Edvar& alsoacknowlafed that t the previous lease,which Ramsey' ' refused 

### to sign. was not 

### in com.'' pliance

### with the applicable Stare andFe&ral regulations. She ad&d'' that the 

### City's aviation enginer 

### consultants, 

### Federal Aviation ' A&ninistration and the 

### ALDOT

### - ' Bureau of Aeronautics recommend edthe leases be changed Edrvarcls also said

### the City wanted 

### to streamline the afrnims

### tration

### of the leases 

### by having ' them 

### in sync and having the lease period based 

### on

### a calendur 

### y"ar ' instead 

## of expiring 

## at different times. She declined 

### to explain on the record why this was not done before the stu$r was approved 

# $RDUE
;Clerk, 

# Elmore County

Elmore 

### County

## for over 16

### years and service 

### oriented :tothe 

### public
vlarcy Smith Perdue and

o

### children in the 

## Iloltville
'n

ire, 203-r Holtville Road, Werumpka Al

.

# Airport su

# rvey 

# information draws opposition
Story

1Posted: sunday, 

### Nril 1,20124:00 

## am

# ' q7t( 

## lrtefhttP/l4 Peggy Blackburn - Managing Editor 

### l0 comments 

# (ean-t),

An informalional meeting Thursday evening to mark the start of afeasibility study for the Wetumpka Muni cipal Airport rapidly degenerated into near rnayhem, as accusations were leveled at organizers and voices were raised by opponenls ofthe study. The meeting was advertised beforehand inthis newspaper strictly as an inforrnational event.

But atthe end ofthe official presentation, some attendees demanded to be allowed to make statements and ask questions. "There will be plenty of opportunities later for questions and input," said Barry Mask, executive director of the Elmore County Economic Development Authority (ECEDA), one ofthe partners inthe study effort. "Public hearings are part ofthe study. This rneeting was advertised inthe paper as an information session to let people know what the study aims to accomplish." But, some inthe audience wouldn't take "no" as an answer,jockeying to share their opinions and outlooksA majority ofthose who most vigorously expressed opposition to the idea of a study are pilots who rent hangar space atthe airport. Gary Cook is onethose pilots. "l don't think we need afeasibili$ study," he boomed. "l really believe the consensus isthat we don't want another Montgomery Airport here instead ofwhatwe've got. "l'm not sold onyour reasoning," hetold Mask. "lt's awaste of money. We like what we already have at our airport." Before the fireworks began, Dr.John Eagerton, director ofthe Alabama Department ofTrans por ta tion's Aeronautics Bureau, and Ryan Reed and Mike Griffin of Garvin Engineers talked about the purpose ofthe study and how itwill be conducted. "We are partnering with ECEDA andthe City of Wetumpka to seewhat kind of airport will best serve the area,o he explained. "Elmore County is one ofthe fastest growing areas inthe state, and there is a lot of demand for facilities here. Wefelt likethe demographicswere supportive of conducting afeasibility study. "We're responsible for determining if itwould be more cost-effective to expand the existing airport or build a different airport at anolher location," he said. "We need tofind outwhat will best serve the needs of both general aviation, corporate aviation and the public." Eagerton added that a number of public meetings will be scheduled during the next sixto nine months. "This will be an inclusive process," he said. "There will be plenty of opportunitles for you to ask questions and getyour answers." The Garvin representatives talked about some of objectives that will be accomplished. "We will analyze the area, create reports and distribute them," said Reed. He outlined areas to be included inthe study, which is geared toward assessing the county's current and future ability to rneetthe growing needs and demands of aviation transportation in both industrial and recreational sectors. The initial phase will 

### identi! airport facility and business park facility requirements with a report and presentation compiled ofthose results. The second phase will involve inventorying the results of phase one in a non-site specific manner. An analysis and comparison of the cunent Wetumpka MunicipalAirport and two alternate sites will also be generated. Reed said public committees will review recomrnendations and provide input. The steering committee will be comprised of government representatives, while the advisory committee will be composed of non-governmental representatives. "We are looking to fulfill general and corporate aviation needswell intothe future," said Eagerton. "This is about econornic development and what's best for everyone in Elmore County," Mask said. The process of conducting a study began in December 2010, when the Weturnpka City Council approved a resolution allowing ALDOT'sAero nautics Bureau to conduct afeasibility study involving the airport. The $150,000 cost of the study is being paid by the state Aeronautics BureauThe airport property was deeded to the City ofWeturnpka in 1948, and was originally known as Elmore Auxiliary Airfield No. 2, one of seven auxiliary fields to Ma><well Air Force Base during World War ll. The field was constructed to relieve congestion at Maxwell and Gunter bases when Manryell Fieldwas designated the Southeast Air Corps Training Center. At that tirne, Wetumpka was the nearest incorporated rnunicipality to thefield in Elrnore County, so the city was given the property. lmprovements and ongoing maintenance have been effected in lhe ensuing years, including work on runways, the addition of hangars and construction of a new terminal.

### WETI.'MPKA 

# Cnrtics 

# not sold
011

# new 'o 

# airport

Ideas 

## for

# facility clash-

## at meeting

By Brian Lyman blyman@gannett.com.



## . WETUMPKA-To supporters; inciuding the head of the county 

### development agency, Elmore 

### County needs'to' explore the 

### possibility

### of a new 

### airport to 

### bring newjobs and industries to the'

### fast-growing area. To

### critics, including many pi

## lots, 

## the current Wetumpka 

### Municipal

### Airport is adequate 

### for their.negds, would unneces.- 

## sarily replicate services at nearby 

### airports and 

### wguld cost too much money. 

### Both groups 

### met Thursday 

### night 

### in Wetumpka 

### at the EImore,rCounty Board,

### of Educa

### tion at what was 

### billed as the 

### kick-off 

### for a

### feasibility study 

## onthe Wetumpka. 

### MuniciBal 

### Airpdrt, but ended showcasing

_

### two 

### different views'of 

### lhe role of an

### airport in,the communiff. 

### Wetumpka Municipal. Air-



## , port,

## first built during Worid 

## i War 

### II, has a 3,000-foot asphalt 

### :furrwdY and 

### ,a 2,800-foot 

### turf runway. 

### Jet

### aircraft n€ed runways 

### of at least 5,000 

### feet, and 'speakers at the meeting Thur.s

### day said an 

### airport 

### that couid iand

### jet aircraft could also heip land jobs 

### for the area, especial

## iy 

## if the

## currelt airport, or,a new one,

### were located 

### next to 'an 

### rndustrial park: "We're

### just trying to see how 

### best

### to bring jobg 

### to Elmore County, and put abusiness 

### park next to the 

### current airport, par

### ticularly geared toward the avi
# j'

See AIRPORT ), 58 MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER,, FRfDAY, MARCH 30, ZO1Z

## " 58

I

'. i Cohtinued

# P*++,,[b 

# TL /t44*, ?**u / ? 

## -r

# q-/l 11

# .pr\r\r.L\

# tU

# til.uuy WsLtffilpfGi

# Affp0l't fgtC0att0n

,

# ALDOT filranciffig 

# investigation 

# into aviation facility's 

# potential to help

# with industry 

# growtir

By Janna Gurtler Harris Progress writer
aha ndrews@gannett.corn
TIte Wetumplia CitS' Coun' cil passed a resolution Dec. 6 requesting asluily to be conducted onthe Wetunrpha IvIunicipai 

### Airport to determine possible expansion or relocation of the ailport. 

### The proposed fba-sibility reporl 

### rvill be conducted by the Alabama Departmentof Traursportation Aeronautics Division. Barry Mash, execu

### tive riirector 

### of the Elrnore Cotuity 

### Ecouilnic DeveioB

### rnent 

### Autirority (ECEDA), 

### origiiraliy approached Dr. Jolur Eagerton, chiefof 

### AL I)O'I's Aeronautics Blrreau, 

### about possibiiities 

### fcrr the airport'sfuture. According to Eagerton. the feasibility study rvill cost between $100,000 and $120,000 and 

### will be cornpletely paid 

### for by AIDOT at no cost to the city of Weturnplta or El

### lnore County. 

### The report lvould take nine or l0 nronths 

### to condttci, and the results would tlten be brought back to ECEDA ancl the cify cormcilforrevierv. X{ask believes 

### this r:eport io be acriticai'step in bring

### ilgjobs to BJrnore County. 

### "'Ihis site where the cur

### rent airport 

### sits has sorne unique characteristics high. 

## Iy vaiued 

### in the industrial economic developurent seg

### tor," the econon:ic developrnent director said.. "Those 

### are rail, high pressrlre gas. high voiune electricity, and 15 minutes lvitirin I-65." The Wetunpira lVlunicipal 

### Airport is located on Alabama Higlrrvay 14

### in Ehtoie, 

### skirling the nearby cou)urunities 

### of Coosada eurd Millbrook.

. "\Yberr 

### I met

### with 

### llr. Eagerton, 

## I rnade

## it pedectly ciear that wewant this to be a win-win prupositioir," N'lask contilrued. "We don't rvantto 

### deprive anyone

### of things

. they are currenlly errjo_ving. tsut if we could bringjobs Lr for the airport to nrove elservhere 

### or be expanded, wiry
ruot look atall thefactors?" 

### Mask pursued Eagerton 

### with 

### this proposition after realizing liow nrany possible jobs for Elruore County were being 

### lost over the past 14 tttonths. "lVe have had 

### ilree dilIerent industry inquiries from 

### the Alabarna l)evelopurent roll?" 

### Councilman 

### l{en HamAIAPORT Paoe 44 File photo progress 

### A small plane comes 

### in

### for a 

### landing 

### at May's 

### annual EAA Fly-in 

### at

### the Wetumpka Municipal 

### Airport.
Oflice- There ar-e only

## four mock said he received a letoflrer sites in the state of

### Ala- terfrom the chailrnan ofthe bamawherc 

### there are__250 Wetuup6a 

### Aiiport Apthoriactes, 

### rail, and gas 

## I{o* tyvoicilg strong opposition 

### mally times can 1ve--,t1u:r to uris rrroject arid*ondered away 3_00ter 400jobs, rvith

## a ifgr;;J*r;ilcoirldhave $20lnillion to $35 ntilliott pay-



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That 

### is thetiottorn line. We have to submit rhisfeasibiliry stu$r to ffus

### ]jfu{," Mask said I'hree clays before the Wbtumpka 

### City CCIuncil approved the ,,u.iy 

### concerning

## the ,Wetumpka 

### I,lunicipal 

### Airport Mask told N{illbrook Mayor

### Al Kelley rhat 

### land locatecl 

### nortlt

## of tviarion Spillway Road 

### is un&r consi&ration as a relocation 

### sitefor the airport. 

### The

### site, wiricn 

### is currently userlas pasture laurd is surroun&d by residences an<t agricultural land 

### in the rrrunicipal limits 

## and police jurisdictions of 

## Ivlillbrook, Dearsville and nl trtmore. 

### If the study concludbs 

### itjs feasible iuid the project moves fur_. 'tva1d, therc are 

### Iikely to be some up-ftont 'costs 

## in terms

### of purchasing private property 

### ,u.h

## * private hangers 

### at the airport

### to

. compensate 

### owners 

### who have cuffellt lease's aLthe airport site. 

### Some e.stimafes

### from private property ownbrs 

### put that nu,nber upwards of.$500,000 nor inclu& 

### ing future costs. Mask says, that. while he does not know the total ' mnount involved

### if the aimort is' 

### relocate4'he wouid prefer 

## it, Elmore County Commission pay those 

### costs and take over 

### ihe .ongoing .maintenance and administration 

### of thc 

### dryo4, perhaps through an aiqport ar-rthority.


### ,. .,'



### . ' 

### See

# 'Airport' Page T 

## rh

## tLc', lNpr,

. in 2003 Mask was involved in a previous effort to move or expand 

## the Wetumpka iVlunicipal 

### Airport. Mask said that the proposai rvas in the inrerest of bring

## ing an' economic

.development project to acijoining property. The project rlicl 

### not come

### to fruition andthe airport remained intact. 

### At the iirne Mask's involvement was 

### strictly as

### a private 

### citizen and business leader 

## in the River Region area. However Mask has since been hired asthe Executive 

### Director 

## for Elmore Countv 

## continEred 

## front page 3

pilot/owners rvho arc opposed to the relocation are memtrers of the 

## local Experimenral Aircraft 

### Association (Chaprer #SZZ). Members 

### who share Rarnsey's sentiments say they have worked 

### to promote inferests 

## in general aviation and many saythey feel those 

### efforts are being crorv&d 

### out by corporate interests. Since 

### the 2003 relocation 

### effort the 

### EAA

### # 822 has worked

### to pro

### mote general aviation 

### the area. The group hosts an annual fly-in that attract.s hunckedsof local ras

### i&nts, many 

## of them chil&en who are given a free airplane 

### ri& and

### a short 

### flying lesson. The group recently hosted an airport open house andinvited the public 

### to see and herr about the growth at the airport. '"The Wetumpka 

### airpon has never been busier,

### with 300 to 400 aircraft operations each rveek placing 

### it among the top four airpofis 

### inAlabarna. 

### It is hometo over 90 

### aircraft. The owners all 

### pay 

### a substantial business per

### sonal property 

### t&x

## to Elmore 

### Couniy. It operates on a balanced budget, 

### at little or n0 cost to Wetumpka taxpayen. Revenues 

### are forecast

## to exceerJ expenditure{i, 

### unlike other

### city &partrnents, andall of thecity's airport debt

## is invested 

## in r-evenue-producing struclrlrqs." Mask saysthat Elmore County 

## is uniquelv positional 

## to r*e advantage 

## of a grorving airport incl.rstry in Alabamit. o'Let us look atthis &om aglob

### al level.The aviation industry is 

### getting bigger and 

### bigger in Alabama. We have 

### one

## of the 

### industry learbrs 

## in Elrnore County already, GIQ\. They have already done three expansions and currently have 1,000 employees. 

### Now 

### ivith GE aviatioil locatine 

## in Auburn...an<1 

### EADS comin! 

## to Mobile, Alabama 

## is really carving out an aviation niche. 

### (A bigger airport) 

### would 

### hetp us locate solne 

### of the,se companies 

### in our area," Mask said 

## With regarcis

## to those 

### orvner/pilots 

### who oppose the relocation 

### of the 

### airpolt, specifi, 

### cally Ramsey and 

### Dan Horton, both

### of rvhom spoke 

### out against the

.

### airport relocation at

.the 

### Wctumpka 

### council meering Mask says there 

### is no 

### satisfling them. 

### "lt does 

### not matter lvhat you 

### tell those guys, there 

### is nothing 

### that 

## is going 

## to sarisfy rhem. They've gor their hobby hut

### just 

### like they 

### iike 

## it andthey

## & nor 

### rvant anybody 

### taking anything from them," Mask said 

### Mask says over 

### the 

### past 13 

### months, 

### ECEDA, through the 

### Alabama Development Office, h.-* had

### 3 serious inquires

### for a 250+ acle site

### witli access

### to rail and 

### high pressurc gas. However when asked

### to reveal any one

### of the.. 

### clients

### that had expressecl interest N{ask was unable-to produce any names. 

### "I do nor knon,

### if it was ayo-yo factoryor ryhat. We get the information 

### lrom the

### ADO that says they have an indrstry 

### looking for

### x,y, andz. 

### I ckrn't knou' 

## if they iir-,r1}f-i Pc'r I Iri nr]vo-,vosor siee'l 

### By 

## BIIIAN I{ODGE .f{ews 

### Editor

n erss @nillbrookindependent.com

Re,\icbnts 

### rin North Millbrook. 

### 'Deatsvilje'.md 

### Elmore already 'h.i't o

### lot o,f air traffic dre totheir 

### proximity,to lvlaxwell

### Air Force Base zurd Wetumpka Municipal 

### Airport. 

### Bdf *re amount

### of air .traftic 

### coulf increase sigdfi cantly 

## if a governrnent study conclucbs 

## ,it' fezr-sibie

## to relocate the ,.lVetumpka' 

### lvlunicipal Airport bloser 

### to rnore resi&ntial areas.



## , On December 

## 3i Wetumpka 

### .City Council,which has Iegal 

### iuthority

## for the airpo(, voieC 

### 'unaninrousil, 

## t0 rcquest the 

## 'Atabama Departnrent of fiansporration (AI_DOT) Aeronautics 

### Division 

### to concluct 

## i feasibility srudy

### ro &tennine the cost.sand other iactors of reloOating

## the airport. 1l'he study 

## itseif 

## is budgeted 

## ro cost $150,000

## - paiq by ALDOT. While 

### rhefeasibiliry study is irot expected to be complete rintil ncxt

### fall Rep. Burry lv{ask;'who zrdvocated the council's action on 

### rhe feasibility study, says

## it is Iugely afonnality "[ expect,(the stu<Jir) 

### to saywhat we already know. There is really rlowhere

### for the current airportto .r1o. That 

### battle has aheady been' {irught. 

### You are not 

### goingto be nbleto extend lhar runway. So 

### I qm hoping they 

## .wili look 

### for



## . s:ome new locations lvhere a new onc couid 

### go, and

### if, in fact, the F,,\Awould be interesred in that, Economic Development 

### Authority

### €CEDA).

### In addition he represents aportion of Elmore County in theAiabama llouse of Representatives. 

### A group

### of pilors and aiqport advocates are opposed 

### to the relo: cation 

### of the airport. Onc such 

### pilot is Dave Ramsey who owns
a private hanger located atthe airport. 'l\{ask, says the present air

### port site 

## is Iimited 

## in gnowth potential and must be relocated in orr&rto ac'cept

### jet aircraft. While 

## it is irue the airport's main runway' 

### is only 3,000

### ft. in iength and

## jet operators 

### would prefer 

### Do&, 

### it is also tnrethat 90Vo

### af all general aviation aircraft requirc less than 3,000 

### ft. to operate safeIy. '"fhe real rc"'lsc,n for the rerprest is ECEDAs continueddesire io con

### vertthe cunent 

### airporl location 

### info an industrial 

### ,p&k, despire 

### the enrlitiness 

## of \Vetumpko', own' 

### nelv jnclustrial 

### park site," Rarnsey saicl 

### Rarnsey

### and many other