MARLBORO COUNTY — Charles Midgley Sr. provided an update for the Marlboro County Council during their August meeting on the county’s Airport Commission on which he serves as chair.
“The County owns and operates the airport, and they use the Airport Commission as an advisory board to give them advice on how to run the airport. They own and operate the airport, and they pay a fixed space operator to operate and lease the airport,” said Midgley.
He shared the county decided to buy 212 acres in the 1970’s to establish a fully functioning airport on Airport Road. When they decided to build the airport, at that time they formed an airport commission.
“The commission is made up of five commissions and five commissioners are appointed by the district as representatives of the county, and the chairman which is appointed by the airport commission,” explained Midgley.
Praising its early construction, Midgley says a nice airport was built for the county that includes a waiting room, a 5,000 ft. lighted runway so planes can continue to take off throughout the evening hours, and about a 30,000 ft. terminal building was built at the same time as the airport.
He added, “The terminal building, which I just described, has six hangers and three of the hangers were built within the last five years. Two other hangers out there were both built by the current space operator. He has a lease on the airport, and he collects hangers for the county and he sells fuel.”
Midgley explained that the space operator is basically an employee. He said the operator has a running contract. He said the FAA has a tax funding system and they pay the county or they pay for up to $150,000 a year to the county to maintain the landing facilities.
“They do not pay the county for the terminal building and the land, but they do pay to maintain the runway and that is the most expensive thing we have,” said Midgley.
A major project the Airport Commission recently undertook is renovation of some of the aging facility, such as parking ramps, and taxi paths. Midgley says it is the Airport Commissions advice that it is time to redo the 35-year-old runway.
He said, “The cost to do that is $4 million. Ninety percent of that $4 million will be paid by the FAA. Five percent of the cost of that $4 million will come from the administration, and then the last 5% will come from work that will be handled or supervised by the county.”
Midgley says bids for the project could become available as early as this spring and the county can then select a contractor to do the work around July. Construction is expected to be completed within 90 days.