Council approves funds to attract military aircraft

    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Once the home of military activity, the Northern Maine Regional Airport may once again provide service to military personnel and aircraft following the Presque Isle City Council’s June 4 authorization of City Manager Tom Stevens to award a bid for military consulting activities to HNTB for $98,300.
   Scott Wardwell, airport manager, first brought the topic up for discussion at the May 21 meeting. The Council opted to table the matter until its June 4 session.
At the latest meeting, Wardwell explained there were three possible military uses for the airport being considered.
“We asked HNTB to come up with three generic missions. The first involved transatlantic fueling missions – the niche we fit into is we’re about 20 minutes closer to Europe than Bangor and when military planes have to clear customs, we have agents nearby. The next mission would be a five- to 10-day deployment to Presque Isle where they’d (military personnel) would do training exercises,” said Wardwell.
Presque Isle would be good for the second option, according to Wardwell, since the area between Presque Isle and Ashland is considered a low-level corridor with limited population.
“That type of generic mission would bring about 100 servicepeople to the area, using motels, eating here and so forth,” said Wardwell. “They’d use the north hangar that was built for military fighters. Planes can fit in as well now as when the hangar was built.”
The third option would involve something a bit more permanent.
“The third is a permanent presence – the greatest long shot and involve an aviation component,” said Wardwell.
Wardwell said it could be something where basically the Air Guard might have helicopters here and serve from a facility at the airport.
“A permanent presence benefits us most on the infrastructure side. They (military presence) bring the ability to control aircraft from the ground and other things on a temporary basis that may or may not stay here,” said Wardwell.
The Airport Advisory Board had several reasons for considering a military presence at the airport, noted Wardwell.
“It’s a good opportunity to potentially share operational costs and add revenue to the airport. The board felt it helped us justify to the FAA and some other governmental bodies the need for infrastructure. It also gives us some real arguments for improving our infrastructure,” said Wardwell.
Currently the airport doesn’t have full instrument approach available. With a military presence, Wardwell said the airport could justify the need for full instrument approach capability.
A military presence “would basically involve a lot more activity – 12 to 20 more flights a day with some added noise,” said Wardwell.
Councilor Ron McPherson thanked Wardwell for providing the Council with additional information to base their decision on.
“At the last meeting, I was nervous. I want to thank Scott for the added information. This is thinking inside the box. It took a great deal of courage to bring this forward. I’ll definitely support this. We need to go for it and see where it takes us,” said McPherson.
The need for a quick decision on the matter was based on the fact the party Wardwell has been dealing recently left the military but still had contacts in the armed services. If the city waited, many of those contacts could be lost as personnel transfer or leave the service as well.
Funding this endeavor will not raise local taxes and may, in fact, increase revenue at the airport and local businesses, said Wardwell.
Of the $98,300, $48,300 will come from the Airport Reserve Account.
“Under the Airport Reserve Account, amounts will be derived from the following accounts within: General Aviation equipment, $16,203; General Aviation furnace, $6,559; crack sealing, $8,013; air service, $8,607; marketing, $8,300; and contingency, $618,” said City Manager Tom Stevens.
Wardwell said the remaining balance of $50,000 would be covered by revenues.
“The remaining amount of $50,000 will be paid to HNTB at a fixed percentage of 50 percent of the net airport revenues generated by the military activity until that amount is paid off or a period of three years from the official start of the project, whichever comes first,” said Wardwell.
The remaining 50 percent of the net revenues generated at the airport by the added military activity would be directed back into the capital accounts from which funds were taken until the $48,300 total is returned to the Airport Capital Reserve Account. The sole exception would be the furnace monies, which would be directed back into the General Aviation equipment account.
Following Wardwell’s presentation and discussion by the Council, it was voted unanimously to authorize Stevens to award the bid to HNTB for $98,300.