Albert J. Ellis Airport Oversight Debated

Airport Oversight Debated 
Jacksonville Daily News, NC

February 13, 2004 


The Albert J. Ellis Airport Advisory Commission
discussed changing its bylaws Thursday to give it more
oversight of airport operations but didn't come to any
conclusions. 

The bylaws, which haven't been changed since 1989,
give the commission a mandate to advise the airport
director and county commissioners on the promotion and
development of the airport and on aviation studies. 

Some commission members said they would like to
perform more active oversight of the airport, but the
commission didn't reach a consensus on what kind of
expanded role it should take. 

Chairman Don Beasley said he thought the commission
should make recommendations on items that would go to
the Onslow County Board of Commissioners. 

"It needs to be determined what we are doing," he
said. "There's no rush that we need to change the
bylaws." 

The advisory commission should represent the
taxpayers' interest in overseeing the airport
operations, said member Alice Brown. All financial
issues should come before the chairman, and larger
items should come before the commission for a
recommendation, she said. 

"I have always been concerned about the $1 million in
grant money that we get from the FAA," she said. "I
guess the FAA checks on that." 

But the commission shouldn't micromanage the airport
operations, some said. 

"I don't know if it would slow us down," Brown said of
assuming financial oversight of the airport. 

Former chairman Pat Farmer said it could get
"cumbersome" if the advisory commission were to start
"dictating day-to-day business." That's airport
director Jerry Vicker's job, he said. 

Vice chairman Leno Lewis said Vickers sometimes needs
to deal with matters before the commission's next
meeting. 



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