Even a monthly financial report on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is fodder for political jokes.
The airport showed a net income of $147,923 for May, according to the monthly business report released at Thursdays meeting of the bi-county board of commissioners, which oversees the airport. Year-to-date, the airport is $98,360 ahead compared to a net loss of $215,718 for the first five months of 2004.
The number of passengers also increased 278 from last month to 19,526.
But board vice chairman and Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert Cordaro used the income figures to jab fellow board member, Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak, who is considering a run for the seat in 10th Congressional District held by U.S. Rep. Don Sherwood, R-Tunkhannock.
The numbers, especially the swing into the black for year-to-date income, impressed the board members. They jokingly attributed the turnaround to Gary Borthwick, director of finance and administration, only on the job since Monday.
Maybe you should run for Congress, Cordaro, a Republican, told Borthwick, seated across the meeting room table.
Skrepenak, a Democrat in his first term as commissioner, said this week he would decide by September whether to run for Sherwoods seat.
Back to business, the board retroactively approved Borthwicks hiring for the $50,000-a-year job. It also approved hiring Matt Judge of Scranton and Aaron McAndrew of Avoca for the summer employment program. All positions were advertised, said airport director Barry Centini.
In addition, the board approved change orders for contractors building the new terminal: Sordoni Construction Services Inc., $9,235, Everon Electrical Contractors Inc., $200,031, and Rado Enterprises Inc., $12,068 for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and $34,394 for plumbing.
The board amended the contract for architecture and engineering services by HNTB Pennsylvania Inc. to perform additional work at a fee not to exceed $36, 133.
In a matter that was not on the agenda, Cordaro said he met with representatives from Sens. Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum about the airport building a new tower to satisfy the Federal Aviation Administration.
Theyre telling us the FAA doesnt like the tower we have, Cordaro said.
The comments puzzled Centini, who said he heard the opposite from the FAA after a recent visit to the airport.
They love this tower by the way.
He stressed the airport has already spent thousands of dollars on site selection and environmental study to locate the tower. The airport was in line for a new tower for 2009, but he said that was pushed back until 2011.
There is nothing more we can do, other than go out and build a new tower and theres no guarantee theyll even pay for it, Centini said.
The board agreed to get the FAA and the senators together to discuss the status of the tower.
