Andrews – The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted Jan. 23 to hire a new airport manager for Western Carolina Regional Airport.
The proposal was made by assistant county manager Maria Hass, who also serves as airport manager. The move became necessary after commissioners unanimously voted Dec. 5 to terminate the county’s fixed-base operator agreement with Gaylund Trull by Friday.
“We would have an airport manager, a true airport manager, somebody that is qualified and has some background, experience and education in airport management,” Hass told the commissioners.
Vice chair Jan Griggs said one of the main jobs for the new airport manager will be to bring Western Carolina Regional into compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration, Division of Aviation and N.C. Department of Transportation.
“Correct, to be able to stay on top of those things,” Hass said. “To also work with our consultants to finally be able to complete some of the projects that we’ve had in our work queue for quite a while that we just haven’t been able to complete because of non-compliance.
“To just manage our hangars, get with the county attorney and myself and our county manager to get our hangar leases under control because we have a lot of hangars there that are in use but we have no hangar leases for (them), so really to get a handle on the airport.”
Multiple county officials described Trull’s contract as having “illegal” aspects in the agreement, keeping the airport out of compliance
with the FAA and hindering the county from receiving funding for the facility. Under that contract, the FBO split half of the airport’s fuel profits with the county.
The Cherokee County airport operations report showed Western Carolina Regional provided $199,754.54 in jet fuel sales revenue during the 2021-22 fiscal year and $152,666.27 in aviation gas sales revenue. Expenditures totaled $158,845.51 for jet fuel and $134,322.94 for aviation gas.
In addition to the new airport manager, the county will employ two part-time linemen to help fuel aircraft, for a total cost of $120,599 this year, including benefits.
The airport manager position has a salary of $51,851 and will cost the county $73,285 with benefits. Hass said the two part-time lineman positions will pay $19,378 for 26 hours of work per week and cost the county $23,657 per year counting retirement benefits.
Board Chair Cal Stiles said the county has the funding available for the positions without commissioners adopting any type of budget revision during the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Hass said she had already advertised the job descriptions for the new airport positions in order to get the hiring process underway faster if commissioners approved the proposal. She hopes to have a new airport manager in place by next week.
“We’ve got some really great candidates and applications,” Hass said. “We are finishing up those interviews this week, so I’ll be in and out, on site, until that person is in place. We’ll have a couple of linemen ready to go hopefully (today) to fuel the aircraft, so we don’t anticipate any interruption in service.”
Commissioner Randy Phillips asked if the board could discuss the airport manager issue in closed session, but that idea was dismissed by other board members.
Hass said in December that commissioners could direct her to advertise for an airport manager and linemen who handle the aircraft, or instead have her solicit a new fixed base operator.
A fixed base operator is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction and similar services. Trull has served as the airport’s FBO since fall 2018.
Hass said Trull – who was set to work his final day Tuesday – agreed to help with the transition to new management.