On Monday, the Chautauqua County Legislature Public Facilities Committee discussed the proposal to accept a $902,240 state grant for a $1,074,200 project to renovate hanger c at the airport. The resolution was originally proposed in July, but was tabled because additional information was brought forward without time for the legislature to analyze prior to voting.

On Monday, Brad Bentley, county public facilities director, said how the county would pay for its local share of $171,960 has changed since last month. He said the original proposal had the county using $171,960 from the capital reserve fund to pay for all of the local share. He added that a new proposal would only use $50,000 from the capital reserve fund.

Bentley said the additional local share would include $48,000 through in-kind services, $65,000 from the sale of timber at the airport, $1,000 from salvaging pieces of the old hanger and $7,960 from the sale of airport property that would include a car and real estate. The committee went into executive session when discussing the potential real estate sale so no information was provided during open session.

Ron Almeter, county airport manager, said it has been at least 20 years since timber has been harvested off of airport property. He said there is about 200 acres of wood lots at the airport.

On the left, Brad Bentley, county public facilities director, discusses a proposal to renovate hanger c at the Chautauqua County-Jamestown Airport during a Chautauqua County Legislature Public Facilities Committee meeting Monday. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

Chautauqua County Legislator Chuck Nazzaro, D-Jamestown, who voted against the resolution last month, said one of his biggest issues with the original proposal was the use of $171,960 from the capital reserves. He said after a discussion with Pierre Chagnon, county Audit and Control Committee chairman, they decided the use of $50,000 from the capital reserves would be an acceptable amount.

Nazzaro said after discussing the proposal last month he toured the airport and the hanger. He said the hanger is in poor condition and something needs to be done with it.

He added that the local share to tear down the hanger would cost about $80,000.

Because the motion was tabled during a full legislative session last month, the committee didn’t have to vote on the new proposed resolution. The motion would have to be brought off the table by the legislature for any action to be taken during its next voting session meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28.