The McComb-Pike County airport board may be able to save the facility’s owners some money soon.
Neel-Schaffer engineer Garrett Smith told board members Monday that a new round of federal transportation grants, if awarded, could provide the money to cover 80% of the local match required on another grant.
The city and county agreed to the 5% match on a $1.5 million grant that will rehabilitate Taxiway A with a milling and overlay, relocate Taxiway C and makes fixes and upgrades to taxiway lighting.
That match is about $147,000, which is split between the two governments. Having 80% of that match covered would take care of almost $120,000, leaving a little less than $30,000 to be split evenly and covered by McComb and the county.
Smith said there would be no cost to the airport board to apply for the grant.
“Why would we not do that, then?” board member Dr. Eric Lewis asked.
“No reason,” Smith replied.
Board members present — Lewis, board President Bob Hensarling, Lynn Martin and Oliver Smith — voted unanimously to submit the application. Members Mitch Dorr, Craig Haskins and Ed Silence were absent.
Smith also reported to the board that the task order on proceeding with bidding and construction on the new 10-space T-hangar has been delayed.
He said the state’s Department of Finance and Administration is still completing the paperwork on the state loans for $400,000 that McComb and Pike County have guaranteed for the project. The loan proceeds are matching a $400,000 federal grant awarded through the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
T-hangars have T-shaped spaces to hold small aircraft, where the body of the planes back into the staff of the T, while the wings sit in the crossbar of the T.
