Published: January 05, 2008 03:34 pm         

Airport garners funding

'Cornerstone of future commercial development'

San Marcos — The possibility of the San Marcos airport attracting commercial flights inched slowly forward in December with the approval of funds at both the state and federal level.

The Texas Transportation Commission approved a matching grant worth $2.2 million, which will be used to overlay, strengthen and remark the San Marcos Municipal Airport's primary runway.

“I would characterize this as the cornerstone of future commercial development of the San Marcos airport,” said Laurie Anderson, assistant city manager.

An approximate $1.9 million in federal funding for the airport was earmarked by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-TX. The amount was originally $300,000 more, but was cut after the appropriations bill went through the conference committee. The money will be used to fund portions of planned projects such as a new terminal and an air traffic control tower. Many business and charter airplanes are required to only land at an airport that has a control tower because of corporate and insurance regulations.

Chuck Nash, chair of the San Marcos Airport Commission, said groundwork has already been laid for the tower, which is expected to cost $1.6 million.

“It's a great way to start off the New Year with this additional funding and we're excited about it,” Nash said.

The $1.9 million in federal funds for the airport is a step up from the previous fiscal year, when an appropriation bill earmarking $4.5 million for T-Hangers and a new terminal was killed.

“It was really an unfortunate situation,” said Bill LaForge, a lobbyist hired by the city of San Marcos. “(The $4.5 million) would have been halfway toward their goal. So it was very frustrating for everybody, especially for the city and me because we're the ones doing the work. But it's one of those things where all you can do is lay your case properly at the feet of the public policy decision makers and it is up to them to complete it, and they didn't.”

The city also sought funding from Homeland Security in 2006 to build an emergency response facility near the airport, but it did not come to fruition.

“It is extremely, extremely difficult to get earmarks there for almost anything,” said LaForge, chair of the government relations practice group of the Winstead law firm.

An emergency response facility is ultimately needed if the city wants to become a commercial airport.

“One of the things you need if you're going to go forward as a commercial airport is you have to have a fire station that is in so many minutes of response,” Nash said.

The city will pay Winstead $240,000 a year as per the new contract that went into effect October 2007. It was double what the consultant group was paid previously.

“We are coming back this cycle looking for another parcel of the funding if at all possible,” LaForge said.

The Airport Commission will further discuss the funds during their meeting 12 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall's council chambers.

     

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