newsobserver.com blogs
County wants more info on airport authority
Submitted by mschultz on 11/14/2008 - 19:20
County commissioners Chairman Barry Jacobs has drafted a letter to UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp asking for more information on plans for the airport authority.
In a draft letter, Jacobs notes the university plans to name its authority members in early January and expects the county to follow suit in late January. The county can’t do that, Jacobs says, until it knows a few things:
- Who will determine the authority’s scope of work? For example, will the panel still be looking at sites a certain distance from campus, as consultants did in 2005, or at sites anywhere in Orange County?
- How will the authority be initially funded? The county has a responsibility to taxpayers, the letter says. If the airport falls under the university, will UNC offer payments in lieu of property taxes like it has proposed for the Carolina North campus to address local public safety and tax revenue interests?
- The county is committed to transparency and “robust public participation,” the letter says. It notes the university has also said it wants to create a fair process. "Does that mean the decisions and operations of the authority will be susceptible to influence by concerned residents in public hearings and by other means, and that full, relevant information will be made available to the public in a timely manner?”
Jacobs says the county can’t become a full participant until the university answers these questions. The county commissioners are scheduled to discuss the letter at a meeting Tuesday night.
Advertisements
Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz is the editor of The Chapel Hill News and The Durham News, and one of the Western Triangle editors for The News & Observer.
Member of the
Real Cities Network
© Copyright 2008, The News & Observer Publishing Company
A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company
Comments
Hangar Question
Sun, 11/16/2008 - 11:09 — ClaudiusIt will be interesting to see if UNC avoids the hangar topic during their next Carolina North meeting with the town this coming week.
Town council members should definitely find out what the university's plans are for HWA before agreeing to further progress talks.
How Appropriate
Sat, 11/15/2008 - 09:14 — TBlake….that Barry Jacobs and the Orange County Commissioners are on board with the wishes of their constituents. True, prior meetings were hearing to discuss the possibility of siting an airport in OC; but the not threat to move unilaterally to take land by eminent domain and certainly not to stack the governing board with state and university members with a two-thirds majority. Most of all, not for the university to usurp the county planning an development role, selling out to a few wealthy business people. How sad that only Jim Heavner was asked to appear at the meeting back in July, bypassing any concerns that might be raised by the residents affected by this ill conceived notion. How sad the NC Legislature did the same in a clear attempt to bypass the democratic process. I am glad the county has exercised what options were left to them. Like a good team the county is working together to hold the line to make sure that future elections matter.
UNC stacked Authority is a key injustice
Sat, 11/15/2008 - 11:27 — marcoplosThe idea of stacking the Airport Authority with UNC reps and tossing a couple of token slots to local governments is an insult to the citizens of Orange County.
This was summed up nicely (and arrogantly) by UNC Authority point man Kevin Fitzgerald - this is from a recent article in the Independent:
"Asked if the county should have been involved, given that the airport will be a county facility, FitzGerald expresses doubt. "I don't necessarily see why."
Smoke and Mirrors
Sat, 11/15/2008 - 13:27 — ClaudiusAs long as the spectre of an airport threatens Orange County - and that includes the existing Horace Williams airport - the possiblity of an Innovation Center or Carolina North becoming a reality remains a pipe dream.
Until UNC actually builds the new AHEC hangar at RDU, no one is going to believe a word they say about their plans for the future.
Smoke and Mirrors
Sat, 11/15/2008 - 13:30 — ClaudiusAs long as the spectre of an airport threatens Orange County - and that includes the existing Horace Williams airport - the possiblity of an Innovation Center or Carolina North becoming a reality remains a pipe dream.
Until UNC actually builds the new AHEC hangar at RDU, no one is going to believe a word they say about their plans for the future.
Design phase
Sat, 11/15/2008 - 20:49 — tbucknerA budget has been put in place for the RDU hangar, a designer has been hired, and construction is scheduled to be complete by November 2009.
http://fpc.unc.edu/Projects/CompleteProjectListing/tabid/82/Default.aspx
Still fishy
Sun, 11/16/2008 - 09:12 — marcoplosTerri,
 Thanks for the link. Two things - 1) construction was supposed to start 11/1/08 yet this has not happened nor is there a const. mananger or firm chosen that we know of & 2) oddly, this hanger for AHEC is not listed under the UNC Hospital or Public Health, but under auxiliary services.
All facilities come under Auxiliary Services
Sun, 11/16/2008 - 21:22 — tbucknerAHEC is part of the School of Public Health which means that Auxiliary Services at the University versus Auxiliary Services at the Hospital is responsible for building and maintaining the airport hangar. Nothing odd, that's just standard business practice for the university. As for the late start, most projects have been delayed due to the legislature asking the university to return 4% of it's budget (predicted to become 5% soon). I can't imagine any business would move forward given the current budget uncertainty. Choices are being made all across campus.
"As for the late start,
Sun, 11/16/2008 - 21:59 — Claudius"As for the late start, most projects have been delayed due to the
legislature asking the university to return 4% of it's budget
(predicted to become 5% soon)."
 The delay in construction was announced in August, well before the university was faced with any budget issues. One could conclude that UNC is still not being straight with the citizens of Orange County.
If you want to see a conspiracy,
Sun, 11/16/2008 - 23:09 — tbucknerthere are plenty of choices. But it's been common knowledge that the budget cut was coming since early summer.
1st conspiracy choice is what actually happened
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 10:51 — marcoplosUNC, through its allies in the legislature, slid through a rider on the appropriations bill that granted its stacked committee all the power it needs to circumvent our local governments and take people's land for an airport that is desired by private business interests.
Conspiracy Theory? I don't think so...
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 15:03 — ZippoTrust me, the private-pilot fatcats behind the current airport putsche would much rather see the airport stay right where it is than have to drive out to the boonies to fly in and out.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see new plans for the Innovation Center and/or Carolina North presented that also include an airport - or at least preclude the necessity of moving the airport before development on the site begins.
After all, HWA is less than five minutes drive from Jim Heavner's new mansion estate on Gimghoul. And probably not much more than that for most of the other airport advocates who house their planes there, including Bill Faison.
Hmm...
Sat, 11/15/2008 - 22:14 — ClaudiusAwarding of the construction contract for the hangar was supposed to have taken place in August but was "postponed" at that time. That's about the same time that the new airport authority was announced. Hmm.
How ironic
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 21:03 — elvisboy77That Barry Jacobs, who met with UNC in July 2008 and was apparently made aware of UNCs plans, now all of a sudden has so much to say?
Is it a slow sports news day, or an upcoming election that is causing this change in level of concern?
Wow. How sad.