McComb officials unanimously approved paying a little more than $9,350 at Tuesday’s meeting to cover half the McComb-Pike County Airport’s insurance bill for the upcoming year.
Airport Board President Bob Hensarling approached McComb officials and the Pike County Board of Supervisors about splitting the insurance cost of $18,700 for the upcoming year. The city and county are the airport’s co-owners.
The prior policy with Falcon Insurance was $6,000 a year, but it increased to $24,000. The airport board then bought coverage from Chubb at the last possible moment earlier in the month.
Hensarling appreciated the city paying half the insurance cost.
“We’re very happy they approved it,” he said.
“The insurance only covers the city and county-owned buildings. We are happy that they agreed to cover half the insurance, and we’re hopeful that the county will.”
County Administrator Tami Dangerfield said the Board of Supervisors might discuss the matter at the Aug. 31 meeting, but no official action has been taken to pay for half the airport’s insurance.
“The County didn’t take any action on it in their (previous) meeting,” she said. “It may come up on the 31st.”
If the board of supervisors agrees to foot half the insurance bill, Dangerfield said it could come out of the current or next fiscal year budget. The 2022-23 fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
“It depends on if they’re asking for the reimbursement now or later,” she said.
Dangerfield said, if the Board of Supervisors decides to foot half the airport’s insurance bill, it would come out of the current budget if the payment is made prior to the end of September. If a payment comes Oct. 1 or later, she said it would come out of the 2022-23 budget.
Board of supervisors President Jake Gazzo said he was in favor of Pike County paying for the other half of the airport insurance bill.
“The airport, we need it for economic development growth,” he said. “It’s good not only for Pike County, but the city of McComb as well.”
Hensarling said the city paying half the bill will help with several airport expenses.
“It will free up that much money for other things,” he said. “There’s a lot of things on our list that we need to do that we just don’t have the money to do.”
Hensarling said the Federal Aviation Administration is requiring the rotating beacon at the airport to be fixed. A rotating beacon has a white and green light that rotates so planes can see the airport from a distance.
“It shows you at night where the airport is,” he said. “It’s a lighthouse for airplanes.
“It stands out in the lights of the city and every airport is required to have one. While it may be old-fashioned before all the electronic stuff, airports are required to have it.”
Hensarling said erosion issues are eating away the bases of the fence and that needs to be taken care of. He also said a shed is needed to protect the tractor at the airport.
“That will just release those funds that we would normally spend on insurance to do other projects,” Hensarling said about the city paying half the airport insurance bill.
