He indicated the need exists to activate as many of the boards as possible and ensure the protection of airports against encroachment. Moved by Commissioner Pietro, with support from Commissioner Saviano, to approve the appointment of Rick Hammond to the airport zoning boards listed above. The Chairman called on Oliver House, Airports Administrator, to brief the Commission on programming plans for the next five years. The document, which lists proposed capital improvement projects through Year 2004, is the product of Michigan Airport Programming meetings and sponsor requests. Costs are estimated and include engineering.
Projects are subject to environmental and, in some cases, airspace restrictions.
All projects are subject to approval by the Aeronautics Commission. The purpose of the document is to show where projects are coming from, the type of projects that are needed, and the magnitude of those projects. Mr. House highlighted examples of typical projects. He indicated that between July and September, the plan will be refined, taking into account a number of influencing factors, including the updated Airport System Plan, and will be brought back to the Commission with any revisions. The Chairman asked the Commissioners to review the document before the next meeting, scheduled for May 20, and bring back any questions they may have.