Airport board, local leaders seeking to refinance debt

 Half way through the new fiscal year, the Williamsburg-Whitley County Airport has lost $23,056 so far, but local leaders and airport officials are hoping to turn the financial ship around with prudent measures and a plan to refinance the airport’s outstanding debt.

The airport’s Board of Directors will meet next week to discuss its finances, among other issues, but it will likely be without three of its members when it does so. Board members Butch Housman and Marc Hensley both resigned last week, frustrated with what they characterized as political games and manipulation that continually stifled efforts to make changes at the facility.

In the wake of the resignations, Airport Board chairman Tim Mays said he understands why Housman resigned.

“When Butch shows up at the airport to do anything, I would usually get three phone calls saying, “What’s Butch doing out here?” Mays said.

“I am in no way sad to see him go.”

Mays said he tried to convince Hensley to stay on the board, at least until its meeting next Thursday, calling him a “valuable board member.”

Hensley reiterated Tuesday that he has resigned from the board and has no intention of returning.

“It’s like a 1,000 lb. weight has been lifted off my chest,” Hensley said. “I just do not have time to deal with that.”

The resignations bring to a total of three the number of members that need to be replaced on the board. Whitley County Sheriff Colan Harrell, who was reappointed to the board late last year, hasn’t been to a board meeting in six months. Mays said Harrell has expressed a desire to be replaced if someone suitable is found to take his slot.

The resignations come at a time when the board seemed to be making some headway on lingering maintenance issues at the airport. Since Oct., the septic system has been replaced, outdated locks have been changed, gates have been repaired and the beacon is again operational.

Housman was on the leading edge of many of those efforts. Last year, the board even appointed him to serve as Airport Manager, but things started to fall apart when Housman had a rift with some hangar tenants at the facility that went public and got nasty. He eventually resigned as manager.

Housman’s resignation from the board altogether last week to Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. consisted of a zip lock bag full of information. Contained within was the letter White wrote last Aug. appointing Housman to the board. Scrawled across it in thick black lettering was a smiley face and the words “I B Done Wit Dis.”

Housman said the form of his resignation was just his way of “making light” of a situation he felt had become unbearable.

White praised Housman for helping spur some positive changes at the airport.

“We hate this situation with Butch Housman and his resignation, but it may be best for everybody involved. He did have some positive accomplishments … but this may be the best way for the board to move forward.”

White and Mays said hangar tenants and officials with Air Evac Lifeteam, and air medical service that operates a base at the airport, had all expressed dismay with Housman and were threatening to break ties with the airport if he didn’t resign.

Housman also included in his packet a list of “parting shots” in which he accuses a part-time airport employee of being a “saboteur” and a “long term problem for the airport,” along with recommendations to fix some maintenance issues at the facility. He also suggests banning shooting on airport property and the storage of firearms, explosives and alcohol in hangars. He also says an audit should be conducted of airport records going back to 2002 and also to scrutinize all land transactions in association with the airport. Other board members have advocated for an audit of the board’s past financial activities as well.

In a list of “recommendations,” he beseeches the board to sell extra property it is not using to pay down debt, hire a full-time manager, reduce the number of people on the airport board to five with no “insiders,” and to withdraw all city and county funding.

“With good management and free of outside manipulation, KBYL (the call letters for the airport) can make it on its own.”

The airport receives $5,000 a month in financial support from the Whitley County Fiscal Court and $8,000 per quarter from the city of Williamsburg.

White said some of Housman’s suggestions are baffling, but added that the idea to sell land not actively being used by the facility has been hashed over before and could be done if the board decides to do so.

“It’s not a completely unreasonable idea … it’s something that has been talked about before,” White said. “Some of that land they have kept with the understanding that the airport would grow at some point in time.”

He said some of the extra land could be used to extend the runway to 8,500 that would allow it to land larger planes.

To replace Housman, White said he has been talking to Mike Holbrook, a retired commercial airline pilot who lives close to the airport. He’s hoping Holbrook will accept the position.

Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison would have to decide who would replace Hensley and Harrell. He could not be reached Tuesday for comment on possible replacements.

Aside from the possible change in personnel on the board, Mays said a priority now is to tackle the facility’s financial issues. The airport had a negative cash flow in December of $7,920.67 and lost $15,851.11 in November. December’s loss, however, would have actually been a slight net income if it weren’t for the fact that the airport received and installed a new beacon, which cost $8,000.

For the past several months, the board has discussed the idea of refinancing its total debt of $451,000 into one, lower interest loan with a local bank — a move leaders say could save $1,000 to $1,500 a month.

“Refinancing is the key to everything,” Mays said.

“If somebody could refinance that total debt for us at four percent or something like that, we would be paying a sizable amount on principal instead of just debt service.”

White said the prospects of refinancing were looking promising.

“It’s sounding really positive,” White said. “We got two or three banks working on quotes for that. It could reduce the cash flow obligation of the airport about $1,500 a month; that would be a very positive move to get the airport back in the black.”