By AMY CALDER
Staff Writer Friday, February 16, 2007

About 20 people turned out Thursday night in the council chambers to help develop goals and objectives for the city-owned and-operated airport, which officials say loses about $150,000 a year.

Area municipal officials, pilots, real estate agents, and those involved in economic development were among those who determined that creating an airport authority, finding a fixed-base operator, adding hangars and creating a business plan should be top priorities for the facility.

Jennifer O'Bryon, an aviation planner working for the state Department of Transportation, facilitated the meeting and helped those present prioritize their wishes for the airport.

The group plans to meet again, probably in March, at the airport to continue discussions.

Participants said what makes the current effort to improve the airport different than efforts in the past is that the city is applying for a federal grant for up to $150,000 to develop a master plan, and expects to receive the funds this fall.

"We've investigated a number of methods to promote the airport in the past," the city's project engineer, Gregory H. Brown, said after the meeting. "This particular group -- and the energy -- seems to be focused and business-minded and that's what we need."

Brown, who oversees the airport, said it needs to be treated as a business.

"It may never break even; however, it must provide economic value to the communities in ways other than the bottom line. It's certainly under-achieving. It's a beautiful facility and we need to focus on it and make it successful."

Waterville officials enlisted area town managers to find people interested in making a long-term commitment to working on an airport plan. Those people attended an initial meeting Feb. 1 to start discussing goals and objectives for the airport. Many returned Thursday.

Clyde Dyar of Mount Vernon, owner of Meadow Brook Consulting, is a former community development director in Fairfield. He also is retired from the Air National Guard, worked a jet engine mechanic, and has been involved in projects at airports since 1975.

Dyar, who served on an airport advisory committee two years ago, believes an airport authority should be created and test-piloted in central Maine. An authority would give airports more leverage for funding and other benefits.

Dyar said fixed-base operators, or companies that run day-to-day operations at airports, are hard to come by and having one FBO run several airports would be viable. He said he is optimistic that current efforts to improve the Waterville airport will be successful.

"I think the political climate in Waterville has changed so it's more receptive to doing something outside of the box for the airport and reaching out to communities," he said.

Mayor Paul R. LePage has long maintained that the city needs the support of area communities in order for the airport to work, as the city cannot afford to do it alone. The annual cost to run the airport is $250,000. The city takes in $70,000 to $80,000 in revenues, mostly from the sale of fuel, but also from leasing hangar space. But the city loses about $150,000 a year on the airport.

City councilors on Tuesday night will consider approving a revision to the airport ordinance that would allow the number of airport board members to be increased from seven to nine, according to Brown.

Some at Thursday's meeting cited the need for a self-fueling system at the airport whereby pilots could fuel their aircraft using a credit card.

Dyar said he likes the idea of building a terminal near the current Greyhound bus station on Airport Road and having a restaurant there where pilots could eat and people could dine while watching planes take off and land. He said the current airport building could be used to house a fixed-base operator.