Tri-Cities to create airport authority
Dec. 16--BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. -- Tri-Cities Regional Airport took another step toward a new operational structure Thursday.
The Tri-Cities Airport Commission approved a resolution that directs the airport executive director and attorney to draft and submit an airport authority charter to the Tennessee Secretary of State's Office. The airport's six owners -- Sullivan and Washington counties, Bristol, Va., Bristol, Tenn., Johnson City, and Kingsport -- already approved the resolution.
"It's one of the most important votes we have cast in a long time," Airport Commission Chairman Ken Maness said.
The commissioner has been working on the creation of an airport authority since the early 1990s, but could never get the owners on the same page. All of the other commercial airports in Tennessee operate as airport authorities.
Maness said the final push toward an airport authority "is the result of a lot of effort" and starts to "tie the ribbons" together.
The airport currently functions like a partnership. The owners appoint members to the airport commission, but still have control. The individual county commissions and city councils must approve grants and other matters even after the airport commission approves them.
As an airport authority, the airport will function like a corporation. The individual owners are turning over their rights to run the airport to the authority board.
The transfer reduces the legal and financial liabilities of the owners and gives the governing body more authority and flexibility, airport Executive Director Patrick Wilson said.
"I think it is going to offer the commission the opportunity to function more like a business and do what is best for the airport," said Commissioner Jeff Broughton, who is city manager of Bristol, Tenn.
Airport attorney William Bovender said he will begin working on a charter in the coming weeks, but did not have an exact timeline for when it will be submitted to the secretary of state. The new entity will be called the Tri-Cities Airport Authority.
The fiscal implications to the airport of the new entity are not significant, Bovender. The change is more structural and operational. The authority will not have any taxing authority and no other government entity will be able to annex the airport property. Also, liability for operation will transfer from the owners to the authority.
The airport commission must create a set of bylaws for the new authority. A working committee was created to start that process.
The real challenge, Bovender said, is the transfer of titles. Since the airport was created in the early part of the 20th century, numerous pieces of property have been purchased and the titles for those properties are not consistent, as the various owners hold the titles.
A title search and survey of the entire airport will need to be completed and all the titles transferred to the airport authority.
"[Someone needs] to find all the pieces of property and where the bodies are buried," Bovender said.
276-645-2511
Copyright 2011 - Bristol Herald Courier, Va.