St. Landry wants to soar into growth

[Colleen Turner <colleenturner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

St. Landry wants to soar into growth
Government looks to improve airport to spur
development
Opelousas Daily World, LA

Posted on March 23, 2004
 
 
Opelousas Pilot Allen Thornburg's six-passenger
Centurion Turbo 210, shown at the airport Monday, is
one of dozens of planes that are serviced and stored
at St. Landry Parish Ahart Field. An airport study
committee has been meeting to explore ways to upgrade
and improve airport services. 
 
 
 
 
St. Landry Parish government is exploring ways to
improve parish airport to enhance economic
development. A citizens' Airport Study Commission has
been formed and will meet next at 

4 p.m. today at Ahart Field on La. 749 just northwest
of Opelousas. 

"The Parish Council and I asked this citizens' group
to look into ways of improving services at the airport
and to study what our airport can mean to the parish
in terms of economic development," Parish President
Don Menard said Monday. "A quality airport is a big
tool to use to develop business in the parish." 

Menard said the commission is made up of business
people, people who know aviation and those who have an
interest in it. 

Seated on the 11-member commission are health care
consultant and former Chamber of Commerce President
Darryl Wagley; School Board member Charles Renaud,
insurance executive Dwayne Hargroder, attorney Jim
Lopez, health care executive Betty Walker, auto dealer
Marty Roy, computer executive Alex Darjean, truck
driver and community activist Earl K. Stevens Sr.,
banker Robert Tomlinson, all of Opelousas, and law
enforcement officer Scott Aymond of Port Barre and
construction business owner Brian J. Tanner of Eunice.


St. Landry Parish Airport, known as Ahart Field, is
owned by the parish and operated by the Airport
Authority, which is appointed by the Parish Council
and chaired by Carlo Polaroto of Port Barre. According
to Wagley, airport revenues include fuel sales,
leases, a stipend from the Parish Council and grants. 

"The authority gets 10 percent of all fuel sales, fees
for land leases and $240 per month from the Parish
Council," Wagley said. "It generates about $50,000 per
year, but that is a wash because it costs about that
much to run it each year. Last year, the airport had a
budget of $350,000, but that was because of federal
grants for the lighting system and other
improvements." 

What the commission is suppose to do is examine
everything the airport is doing and how it is run and
find ways of achieving better service. 

"We want to examine the way the airport is managed now
and find some options that we can recommend to the
Parish Council as to how it should be managed," Wagley
said. "We may need some changes, not with the
authority, but in the way the finances are arranged
and on some other issues. We took it from a zero point
and looked at everything with the idea in mind as to
what is the best thing for the airport. We may need to
hire a full-time manager. We are looking at
everything," Wagley said. 

District 1 Parish Councilman Bruce Boudreaux has
complained about poor maintenance at the airport for
more than a year. Last summer, a broken down tractor
sat on a closed taxiway for several months, which
prompted members of the St. Landry Economic and
Industrial Development District to voice their
concerns. 

For the past six months, night landing has been
suspended while the airport installed its new lighting
system, which was part of a $1.2 million federal grant
package for upgrades and improvements, aviator Duke
Olivier of Opelousas said Monday. 

In addition, airport client Brad Vidrine of Acadiana
Fixed Air has complained about his competitor, Terry
Myers of Most High Air, being named airport manager, a
position Myers had recently quit. 

"Terry Myers did not resign," Wagley said. "He
canceled his contract with the airport. He had a
contract to be the fixed based operator, which means
he sells fuel, manages the leases, provides flight
service and plane maintenance. It's a contract you bid
out, but unlike other bids, this one goes to the
highest bidder who can provide the most to the
airport. As in the past, the FBO has become the
manager of record." 

The commission has met twice and will meet again at 4
p.m. today. The first meeting was an information
exchange where members who were familiar with airport
operations brought the others up to speed. The second
meeting focused on identifying problems and seeking
solutions. 

"The third meeting will be an opportunity for us to
discuss options of what can and needs to be done,"
Wagley said. 

Since March 1, aviator Duke Olivier of Opelousas has
been acting as interim airport supervisor. Olivier
said Monday that the airport is vital to the future of
the parish. 

"If it were not for the airport, Wal-Mart would not be
here ... the casino would not be here. Other big
companies like Valero use the airport all the time. It
has a dramatic impact on the local economy," Olivier
said Monday. 

Olivier said the lighting system has been tested and
is ready for service and that the airport will be
ready to resume night landings on March 28, once the
main runway has been restriped. 


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