Santa Paula First to Seek Federal Grant to Buy Airport Rights

WASHINGTON -- Santa Paula is hoping to become the first city in the nation to take advantage of a federal program offering grants to public agencies looking to buy the development rights of small, privately owned airports.

City officials are trying to secure as much as $7 million through the program to purchase development rights to Santa Paula Airport.

The facility would be operated in perpetuity as an airport, and the association that runs the airport would be able to use the money to make some needed safety improvements, City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz said.

Bobkiewicz and City Council members John Procter and Bob Gonzales discussed the idea Thursday during a meeting with Federal Aviation Administration officials in Washington, D.C.

"It's not a done deal, but they felt this was as strong an application as they have seen thus far," said Bobkiewicz, who was in Washington with Procter and Gonzales for two days of meetings about local projects.

The federal airport program was set up several years ago as a pilot project to help keep small, general aviation airports in operation across the country, yet none of the grant money has been awarded. The program is set to expire at the end of September.

Santa Paula will submit a formal application for the funds in May and likely will learn in July or August whether it will receive a grant, Bobkiewicz said.

While in Washington, Santa Paula officials also met Wednesday with California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, and Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, to lobby for additional money for a new sewage treatment plant.

The city is looking to build a new facility because its current plant is out of date and the water it discharges into the Santa Clara River doesn't meet Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board standards.

The cost is projected to be $60 million to $70 million. The city is seeking $3 million in federal funds to help pay for design and construction.

Feinstein's office warned that the push for reform in Congress could make it difficult to get the money through the regular appropriations process, Bobkiewicz said.

Her staff, however, indicated that some money for the project might be available through the Department of Agriculture, he said.

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