by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“All we’re looking for is transparency, accountability, and proper representation,” Midway property owner Matt Hughes said, addressing the Franklin County Commission at the June 21 meeting. Hughes highlighted concerns which surfaced in conjunction with the University seeking avigation easements from property owners to allow for tree cutting at the Sewanee-Franklin County Airport. The airport, managed by the University, is owned by Franklin County.

“My understanding is the landowners oppose the easements,” said Hughes, unofficial spokesperson for an incipient citizens coalition. Unsatisfied with financial information given by the University at a May 3 town meeting, Hughes said he filed a Freedom of Information request with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). He shared the documents he received with the commissioners.

Hughes called to their attention the $4 million economic benefit the county received from the airport, noting that $1.5 million of the benefit was wages for airport employees. Hughes also cited the more than $5 million 10-year plan to apply for grants to improve and expand the airport, which included runway, taxiway and hanger construction, and terminal expansion. Hughes said at the May 3 meeting the community was told the tree cutting was needed to comply with TDOT regulations, and there were no plans to expand the airport.

Hughes said he asked the University for a 10-year operations budget, and had not received it. Franklin County Mayor David Alexander said he made the same request, on May 18, and had not received the document.

Hughes pointed out in the past that the tree cutting was accomplished by “a gentleman’s agreement” without an easement. Speaking on behalf of his father Jerry Jacobs, one of the affected property owners, Jim Jacobs said his father agreed to cut the trees, but before the task was done, surveyors came on the property without permission.

“We haven’t said one word about not cutting the trees,” Jacobs said. “But the University running in and out doesn’t set well with us.” Jacobs said he recently received a letter about an appraiser visiting to set a value on the property for the easement. “We don’t want to sell it, and we don’t want to price it,” Jacobs insisted.

Commissioner Helen Stapleton suggested comparing airport grants received in the past 10 years with the $5 million grant plan for the next 10 years. “If the amounts are the same, there would be not much to worry about [concerning expansion],” Stapleton said. “The total [in past grants] is $3 million,” Alexander said.

Hughes said the Herald Chronicle reported Stapleton, Alexander and Commissioner Johnny Hughes proposed establishing an “airport authority.” “We support this,” said Hughes. He suggested an oversight committee with one commissioner from the Mountain and one commissioner from the valley.

Commissioner Eddie Clark questioned a $459 expense for three students to take flight classes and asked if grant money awarded to the county was paying for this. Hughes said the comptroller was looking into the expense.

County Finance Director Andrea Smith explained when the county received airport grant funds from TDOT, the county wrote the University a check. Smith said this method had created audit problems, and she would prefer to reimburse vendors directly, the method used for handling other grants.

Alexander said 1954 and 1993 documents governed the airport-management relationship between the county and the University. Assigning authority to an oversight committee would be in conflict with the existing agreements. Stapleton noted the initial “airport authority” proposed was a committee to facilitate communication. Alexander said that would not be in conflict with the agreements in place.

“They [the University] are starting to get really aggressive with development,” said Midway resident Dan Barry. “Why can’t they shorten the runway…and cut trees on the Sewanee side instead of coming on private landowners…That’s why we want the committee so they can explain these things to us.”

“We wouldn’t be at this point if there was a committee in the past,” said Commissioner J. Hughes. “The rumor mill exploded…If everyone had to sit down and look at one another and talk, it wouldn’t have gotten to this.”

Commissioner Adam Casey said there was “no excuse” for the University’s failure to provide an operations budget. “It’s a public airport owned by the tax payers.”

The commission is expected to take up the airport authority question at the July 20 meeting.