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 about the purpose of the study.

"We're responsible for determining if it would be more cost-effective to expand the 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 left following 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."

Since the 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
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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 the city

council would need to rcq-rest his

bureau to conduct the study.

Eagerton said he 'sharcs a vision'

with Mask about the airport.

Irr Decernber 2010, Bany Mask

advocated for the City of

Wetumpka's approval of an assessment, or feasibility stucly regarrtng

the expzursion or possible relocation 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 a picture of expansive economic

grcwth fotlowing a modern airporl. Accoding to Eagerton many

insruzurce policies will not permit

jet aircraft to lnnd on a runway less

than 5,000 ft. M:uk and Eagerton

stated during the meeting that a

runway of that length would 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 that trafrc being transient and only 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 the first 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, but that 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

after we pass it."'
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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 i llbrooki 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 agreement, which the City of

Wetumpka compels property owners to sign, drops from a l0-year

terrn (with a five-year renewal) to a

l-year term, according to Ramsey.

Ramsey said that the reason the

term has been lowered is 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, made similar

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 development. Barry lvlask. Executive

Director of ECEDA, said that he

has reccived numerous requests

from the 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 said that the study was critical 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&essing Ranrsey's arcusation directly,

&hvarct says, 'The City plans to

use the Standard L,ease with 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& also acknowlafed 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

ed the leases be changed

Edrvarcls also said the City

wanted to streamline the afrnimstration 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

:to the 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

1 Posted: 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 a feasibility 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 in this newspaper strictly as an inforrnational event.

But at the end of the 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 of the partners in the study effort. "Public hearings are part

of the study. This rneeting was advertised in the paper as an information session to let people know what the study

aims to accomplish."

But, some in the audience wouldn't take "no" as an answer, jockeying to share their opinions and outlooksA majority of those who most vigorously expressed opposition to the idea of a study are pilots who rent hangar space

at the airport. Gary Cook is one those pilots.

"l don't think we need a feasibili$ study," he boomed. "l really believe the consensus is that we don't want another

Montgomery Airport here instead of what we've got.

"l'm not sold on your reasoning," he told Mask. "lt's a waste of money. We like what we already have at our airport."

Before the fireworks began, Dr. John Eagerton, director of the Alabama Department of Trans por ta tion's Aeronautics

Bureau, and Ryan Reed and Mike Griffin of Garvin Engineers talked about the purpose of the study and how it will be

conducted.

"We are partnering with ECEDA and the City of Wetumpka to see what kind of airport will best serve the area,o he

explained. "Elmore County is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, and there is a lot of demand for facilities

here. We felt like the demographics were supportive of conducting a feasibility study.

"We're responsible for determining if it would be more cost-effective to expand the existing airport or build a different

airport at anolher location," he said. "We need to find out what 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 six to nine months.

"This will be an inclusive process," he said. "There will be plenty of opportunitles for you to ask questions and get your

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 in the study, which is geared toward assessing the county's current and future ability

to rneet the 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 of those 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 needs well into the 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's Aero nautics Bureau to conduct a feasibility 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 of Weturnpka 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 Field was designated the Southeast Air Corps

Training Center.

At that tirne, Wetumpka was the nearest incorporated rnunicipality to the field 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 

'o

new

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 new jobs and industries to

the' fast-growing area.

To critics, including many pilots, 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 Education at what was billed as the

kick-off for a feasibility study

on the 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.sday said an airport that couid

iand jet aircraft could also heip

land jobs for the area, especialiy 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 a business park

next to the current airport, particularly geared toward the avij'

See AIRPORT ), 58

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER,, FRfDAY, MARCH 30, ZO1Z " 58 I

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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 a sluily to be conducted on the Wetunrpha IvIunicipai Airport to determine

possible expansion or relocation of the ailport.

The proposed fba-sibility

reporl rvill be conducted by

the Alabama Department of

Traursportation Aeronautics

Division. Barry Mash, executive riirector of the Elrnore

Cotuity Ecouilnic DeveioBrnent 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 Ellnore 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 a criticai'step in bringilgjobs to BJrnore County.

"'Ihis site where the current airport sits has sorne

unique characteristics high. Iy vaiued in the industrial

economic developurent segtor," 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 we want 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 bring jobs Lr

for the airport to nrove elservhere or be expanded, wiry

ruot look at all the factors?"

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- ter from the chailrnan of the

bama wherc there are__250 Wetuup6a Aiiport Apthoriactes, rail, and gas I{o* ty voicilg strong opposition mally times can 1ve--,t1u:r to uris rrroject arid *ondered

away 3_00 ter 400 jobs, rvith a ifgr;;J*r;ilcoirldhave $20lnillion to $35 ntilliott pay-

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That is the tiottorn line. We have

to submit rhis feasibiliry 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 site for 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 it js 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 aL the 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 bringing an' economic 

. development

project to acijoining property. The

project rlicl not come to fruition

and the 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 as the 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 say they feel

those efforts are being crorv&d

out by corporate interests. Since

the 2003 relocation effort the

EAA # 822 has worked to promote general aviation the area.

The group hosts an annual fly-in

that attract.s hunckeds of local rasi&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 in Alabarna. It is home to

over 90 aircraft. The owners all

pay a substantial business personal 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 says that Elmore County

is uniquelv positional to r*e

advantage of a grorving airport

incl.rstry in Alabamit.

o'Let 

us look at this &om a global 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 and they & 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 a yo-yo

factory or ryhat. We get the information lrom the ADO that says

they have an indrstry looking forx, y, and z. I ckrn't knou' if they

iir-,r1}f-i Pc'r 

I I ri n r] vo-,vos or 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 to their

proximity,to lvlaxwell Air Force

Base zurd Wetumpka Municipal

Airport. Bdf *re amount of air

.traftic coulf increase si gdfi 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.s and other iactors of reloOating the airport. 1l'he study itseif is budgeted ro cost

$150,000 - paiq by ALDOT.

While rhe feasibiliry 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 a fonnality

"[ expect,(the stu<Jir) to say what

we already know. There is really

rlowhere for the current airport to

.r1o. That battle has aheady been'

{irught. You are not going to be

nble to 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,,\A would be interesred in that,

Economic Development

Authority €CEDA). In addition

he represents a portion of Elmore

County in the Aiabama 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 at the airport. 'l\{ask, says the present airport site is Iimited in gnowth

potential and must be relocated in

orr&r to 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 tnre that 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 convert the cunent airporl location

info an industrial ,p&k, despire

the enrlitiness of \Vetumpko',

own' nelv jnclustrial park site,"

Rarnsey saicl

Rarnsey and many other