FAA EXTENSION

Someone is very confused.  The FAA extended the time for consideration of the Part 16 complaint, not the consideration of the closure.  The closure is not being considered until the airport is in compliance to the satisfaction of the FAA.  See the letter on the blog.  The closure will be considered after the airport is found to be in compliance with its Federal obligations, and not just the conclusion of the part 16 complaint.   

PRIORITIES

Ron Blum is making a feeble attempt to convince the community that his personal vendetta against the airport is justified, and that St. Clair cannot thrive if it remains the sponsor of the airport.   The city has an obligation to the Federal Government, and this cannot be overridden by his personal preferences.  The obligation to the community does not override the Federal obligations.   Ron Blum is marketing the concept that the city cannot afford the airport, and that the only solution is closure.  If the city cannot afford to operate the airport, it has another option, find another sponsor for the airport.  The city does not have to be the sponsor.  The obligations are transferable.   Retail development is nowhere in site, and the continued efforts to destroy the airport have backfired on Ron Blum’s plan.   The city should seek to turn over the airport to another party.  

WHERE IS THE RETAIL?

How many years is it going to take until the citizens of St. Clair start to realize that they have been led down a path to nowhere, and this path was extremely expensive? 

The following is what was produced to bring everyone on board.   (From the redevelopment plan page 39.)

At build-out, it is estimated that the total equalized assessed value (“EAV”) of the Redevelopment Project Area, based upon 385,000 square feet of total retail/outparcel space and will be $14,064,531. It is also estimated that at full build-out, the Redevelopment Project Area will produce, based upon estimated annual taxable sales of $99,875,000, the following annual tax revenues:

Local Sales Tax: $ 4,744,063

Personal Property: $ 206,604

So where is the retail?  If you look real close, you might be able to see it at the end of the road.

MCCASKILL AMENDMENT 1800

MRW13702                                                                                                                               S.L.C.

AMENDMENT NO.______________               Calendar No._________

Purpose: To release the City of St. Clair, Missouri, from all restrictions, conditions, and limitations on the use, encumbrance, conveyance, and closure of the St. Clair Regional Airport.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES—113th Cong., 1st Sess.

S. 1243

Making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation,

and Housing and Urban Development, and related

agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,

2014, and for other purposes.

Referred to the Committee on __________ and

ordered to be printed

Ordered to lie on the table and to be printed AMENDMENT intended to be proposed by Mrs. MCCASKILL

(for herself and Mr. BLUNT)

Viz:

1   On page 24, between lines 16 and 17, insert the fol-

2   lowing:

3   SEC. 119F. (a) The United States, acting through

4   the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration,

5   shall release the City of St. Clair, Missouri, from all re

6   strictions, conditions, and limitations on the use, encum

7   brance, conveyance, and closure of the St. Clair Regional

8   Airport, as described in the most recent airport layout

9   plan approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, to

2

MRW13702                                                                                                                               S.L.C.

1    the extent such restrictions, conditions, and limitations are

2    enforceable by the Administrator.

3           (b) The release under subsection (a) shall not be exe

4   cuted until the City of St. Clair, or its designee, transfers

5   to the Department of Transportation of the State of Mis

6   souri—

7          (1) the amounts described in subsection (c), to

8    be used for capital improvements within the meaning

9    of airport development (as defined in section

10  47102(3) of title 49, United States Code) and con

11   sistent with the obligations of the Department of

12  Transportation of the State of Missouri under the

13  State block grant program of the Federal Aviation

14  Administration; and

15        (2) for no consideration, all airport and avia

16   tion-related equipment of the St. Clair Regional Air

17   port owned by the City of St. Clair and determined

18   by the Department of Transportation of the State of

19   Missouri to be salvageable for use.

20   (c) The amounts described in this subsection are the

21   following:

22   (1) An amount equal to the fair market value

23   for the highest and best use of the St. Clair Re

24   gional Airport property determined in good faith by

3

MRW13702                                                                                                                             S.L.C.

1   an independent and qualified real estate appraiser

2   on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

3           (2) An amount equal to the unamortized por

4   tion of any Federal development grants other than

5   land paid to the City of St. Clair for use at the St.

6   Clair Regional Airport, which may be paid with and

7   shall be an allowable use of airport revenue notwith

8  standing section 47107 or 47133 of title 49, United

9   States Code.

10      (3) An amount equal to the airport revenues re

11  maining in the airport account for the St. Clair Re

12  gional Airport as of the date of the enactment of

13  his Act and otherwise due to or received by the City

14  of St. Clair after such date of enactment pursuant

15  to sections 47107(b) and 47133 of title 49, United

16   States Code.

17   (d) The Federal Aviation Administration shall remove

18  the runway end indicator lighting system at St. Clair Re

19  gional Airport.

20  (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit

21  the applicability of—

22  (1) the requirements and processes under sec

23  tion 46319 of title 49, United States Code;

4

MRW13702                                                                                                                          S.L.C.

1            (2) the requirements under the National Envi

2    ronmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et

3   seq.);

4   (3) the requirements and processes under part

5   157 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations; or

6   (4) the public notice requirements under section

7   47107(h) of title 49, United States Cod

JUMPING AROUND THE RULES.

I recorded an event today on CSPAN, the Senate voted to discontinue debate on the transportation and HUD bill (Senate Bill 1243).  The vote failed.   I recorded it for posterity.   The bill has hundreds of amendments, one of which was amendment 1800.

Purpose:

 To release the City of St. Clair, Missouri, from all restrictions, conditions, and limitations on the use, encumbrance, conveyance, and closure of the St. Clair Regional Airport.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES—113th Cong., 1st Sess.

S. 1243

The democrats were very upset.   This will leave the bill open for more discussion and filibuster.   With the Senate going into a five week recess, aviation organizations will have five weeks to inform the Senate on the amendment 1800.   The person at our legislative affairs office thinks this bill is dead in the water, and will never make it to a vote before the October deadline. 

This amendment was an attempt by the city to use the political process and to try and circumnavigate the rules.   I seems that the city has a problem when it comes to rules.  Instead of trying to learn them and follow them, they just do what they want and then try to double talk their way out of them.   The full amendment will be posted in the near future, this will be the first in a series of post on this subject.