AIRPORT FUNDING POSSIBILITIES OUTLINED

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport still would be eligible for some Missouri Department of Transportation aviation grants even if it reaches 10,000 passenger boardings this year or next.

Ten-thousand passenger boardings in the calendar year qualifies the airport for Federal Aviation Administration funding, said Brian C. Weiler, administrator of MoDOT's Aviation Multimodal Operations Division.

The airport in recent years hasn't achieved 10,000 boardings, which would entitle it to about $400,000 in federal funds.

Weiler was at the local airport Thursday to discuss programs offered by the state's aviation division.

Speaking before airport board members and city, county and chamber of commerce officials, Weiler explained grants and loans available to airports. He also updated the group on proposed aviation funding bills in the Missouri Legislature.

"This is my first visit to this area," said Weiler. He was appointed aviation administrator seven months ago, replacing the retired Lloyd Parr, who served for 23 years. "I spent the first four months in my new position in the office, but during the past three months I have been to all four corners of the state," Weiler said.

Weiler has served as airport manager at St. Joseph; Stuart, Fl.; and Johnson County, Kan., near Kansas City. He also served as a consultant for an airport planning firm before being named to the MoDOT position.

The aviation section administers federal and state grant programs that assist local governments in planning, maintenance and development of existing airports and establishing new facilities.

"The objectives of the grant programs are to provide modern, all-weather airports for safety while enhancing economic development in the state," said Weiler.

Some grants are issued on an 80-20 percent basis and others at 90-10, with local governments providing the 20 or 10 percent funding.

He touched on a couple of grant projects at the Cape Girardeau airport -- a $400,000 fire-protection water main and a $2.5 million apron expansion completed in 1996.

Weiler said the state has 498 airports -- including 113 privately owned airports.

The aviation division inspects most of the publicly and privately owned airports in the state that are open to the public. The division also provides free aeronautical charts and airport directories.

"We try to inspect every airport at least every two years," he said.

Weiler discussed a proposed legislative measure that would provide funding for control towers.

"Two Senate Bills -- SB813 and SB864 -- are still alive in this legislative session," said Weiler. "These bills would allow for 50 percent control-tower funding for city-funded towers, up to $125,000."

Included in the Senate bills are proposals to place jet fuel taxes in the State Aviation Trust Fund rather than the general fund.

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport manager Bruce Loy has made a number of trips to Jefferson City to voice support for bills that offer financial advantages to airports statewide and the tower funding.

Also on hand Thursday were Ron Mattingly and Joe Pestka, both of Crawford, Murphy and Tilly Inc. The consulting firm has been selected to continue serving as the airport engineering consultant for an extended five-year contract.

Crawford, Murphy and Tilley will do engineering and consulting on a number of projects at the airport, including a master plan and a variety of surface and facility development and improvement projects. One involves reconstruction of T-hangar ramps.

Loy reported boardings during the first quarter of this year were up 72 percent over the same period a year ago, from 1,672 to 2,873 passengers. "At that rate we would meet the 10,000-passenger mark for the 1998 calendar year," said Loy.

TWE boardings for the quarter totaled 1,433, up from the 881 of the same period a year ago. Other boardings, including Procter & Gamble Co. boardings, totaled just over half of the quarter's boardings, 1,440 passengers.