NORWICH – Airport Administrator Donald MacIntosh officially resigned his government position last Monday, but after a 25-minute executive session to discuss personnel, the Chenango County Board of Supervisors reappointed him to acting administrator at the Lt. Warren E. Eaton Airport.
Two members of the board opposed the appointment, however. They were: James J. McNeil, D-City of Norwich, and Jerry L. Kreiner, R-Plymouth.
MacIntosh was previously employed by the county as assistant real property tax director from 1999 to 2008. He had been part-time airport administrator since 1998, a position he held until Monday.
Under the New York State Employees Retirement System, and after a set number of years, employees are eligible to retire and collect their pension benefits. They can subsequently work in the public sector, though with earnings limitations, or in the private sector, without them.
As part-time airport administrator, MacIntosh, who is 70, earned $8,770 last year. He earned $33,759 in his last year as full-time assistant tax director for the county.
Following the appointment, Chairman Richard B. Decker directed the Planning and Economic Development Committee to determine the position’s salary and terms or recommend another individual to the post. The committee went into an executive session on Tuesday to discuss the matter. (The committee had also met in executive session prior to the board’s Monday morning meeting.)
McNeil, who is also a member of Planning, said he opposed MacIntosh’s appointment because the airport isn’t running as efficiently as he thinks it should.
“I was not in agreement with the person chosen. We need an individual who’s going to get the airport up and running more efficiently,” he said Wednesday.
McNeil said he was particularly dissatisfied that MacIntosh hadn’t secured a credit card reader for the airport’s fueling station so that pilots could fuel up on the weekends when there is no attendant on duty. He also questioned why the attendant wasn’t providing customers with fueling and towing services during the week anyway.
“We need to make that a viable airport,” McNeil said. “We want to sell jet fuel, for God’s sake. We don’t want them to go somewhere else.”
Committee member Dolores Nabinger, D-Bainbridge, also questioned why it has been so difficult to purchase a credit card reader for the fuel pump.
Macintosh said he was in discussion with two or three prospects for the card reader and was “moving ahead.” He explained that “a liability problem” prevented the part-time county employee from fueling and towing jets, and some pilots have refused to do their own while in business dress.
McNeil suggested that MacIntosh investigate the insurance coverage needed for the individual, or for an energy company that might possibly contract to brand the airport’s pump.
A discussion of whether to lease hangar space to Plane Leather, Inc., an airplane upholstery business, ensued again this week. Led by a motion from New Berlin Supervisor Ross P. Iannello, and seconded by McNeil, the committee voted to move the company’s proposal forward to be considered by the full Board of Supervisors in June.
The seven-year-old company’s proposal was discussed by the Finance Committee in February and March, but a $5 million liability insurance requirement recommended by the county’s insurance consultants, Mang Insurance Agency, forced Plane Leather away from the negotiations table.
MacIntosh said the Chenango County Airport Steering Committee had found no instances of aircraft accidents caused by repairs made to airplane interiors. He also cited communications from the other county airport administrators that impose a $1 million hold harmless clause for entities renting hangar space.
“We don’t need to go through Finance, because this committee oversees the airport,” McNeil said.
In an about face in April, even though his own committee refused to abandon the higher liability quote, Vice Chairman of the Finance Committee Dennis Brown, D-Pharsalia, suggested that the company’s proposal be presented to Planning again.
Iannello commented that if other airports take $1 million “there’s no way we shouldn’t be,” adding that the county should be soliciting quotes from more than one insurance company.
Plane Leather reupholstered the interiors of 43 airplanes over the last year and a half.
“That would represent a hefty increase in fuel sale,” said McNeil.
Planning and Economic Development Committee Chairman David C. Law, R-Norwich, commented that the airport “really hasn’t been friendly to customers. We have this facility, we need to do whatever we an to make it a success.”
Macintosh commended the committee’s action to send the motion to the full board for consideration. “This thing has been a long time coming. You’ve taken a giant step today,” he said.
In other airport news, the board adopted resolutions authorizing $514,222 to remove and light up runway obstructions and $19,000 for design and bidding services for 10 new t-hangars and a taxiway to service them.
Terry’s Tree Service of Rochester will receive $32,134 for removing five trees that are obstructing take-off and landings at the airport. C&S Engineers are the construction project’s consultants.
The amounts will be deducted from the Lt. Warren E. Eaton Airport trust fund interest account.
The committee also set June 12 for the 2010 Chenango County Airport Day.