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New airport board violates city law
By Brandi Hart, McKinney Courier-Gazette
The McKinney City Council recently replaced six of the seven members of the Collin County Regional Airport Board, which the council wants to change to a development corporation similar to the McKinney Economic Development Corp.
However, the makeup of the new board will not comply with current city law when the new board members’ terms begin on Monday.
Two, possibly three, board members live in McKinney, though two others run McKinney-based businesses. The most recent airport board ordinances - Nos. 2006-05-055, 2006-08-096 and 2006-09-105 - require that at least five members of the board live in the city.
The new board members are:
The lone reappointed member is Andy Cowan, of Lucas, who works for J.C. Penney Co. Inc. in Plano. Board members who were not reappointed are chairman Steve McCarter, John Sowerby, Peter Costas, Mike Massey and Bob Melancon, all of whom live in McKinney; and David Howard.
McKillop and Jones could not be reached at their offices for comment on Wednesday afternoon.
The council appointed the members after an executive session on Sept. 17. The council is considering adopting new bylaws and a new ordinance for the airport board, said Council member Pete Huff. He is on a committee with Council member Thad Helsley and city attorney Mark Houser to discuss changing the airport board into a development corporation that would be similar to the MEDC and the McKinney CDC Huff said.
The council is slated to discuss the draft bylaws of the structure of the new board at the work session on Monday, Houser said. If the council members are satisfied with them, they can direct him to put the formation documents and bylaws on agenda for the Oct. 16 regular meeting, or choose another meeting date, Houser said.
The new fiscal year begins Monday, which is also when the new board members’ terms become effective. If the council were to approve the new bylaws and an ordinance for the creation of the new airport board in a special meeting to coincide with the scheduled workshop meeting at 5 p.m. Monday, the composition of the panel would violate the current ordinance for 17 hours.
When asked if the council would be violating its current ordinance about having at least five airport board members residing in McKinney until the new ordinance and bylaws are approved by council, Houser said the city is transitioning to a new type of airport board.
“The current board will meet one more time this month. The new board will meet as soon as its formation documents are approved, probably in late October,” Houser said.
Under the new development board, the airport director would be hired by the board members rather than the city manager, Huff said. The new board will operate under funds from the city’s general fund, Huff said.
When asked if the new board members were appointed because of their positions at EDS, Encore Wire and TI, all of which have one or more planes, or a corporate fleet at the CCRA, Huff said the members’ positions are very helpful.
“These kinds of people are very high-level business people and know other kinds of people, and that can be very helpful,” Huff said.
Huff said the city does not plan on asking other cities in the county to help support the airport, even though most of the new board members do not live in McKinney.
District 1 Council member Gilda Garza said she did not support changing the members of the board and wants to leave it like it is.
“I really don’t think anything is going to happen that is too drastic. Personally, I don’t want the airport board to change. I want it to be made up of mostly McKinney people because it’s a municipal airport. To me, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Garza said. “I know I’m always anti-airport, but there are some things you shouldn’t change.”
Her council district includes the airport and usually, but not always, votes against airport related items.
When asked if she thought the new board members were appointed to help the city lure commercial airlines to the airport if the council votes to have commercial flights at the airport, Garza said she certainly hopes that is not the case.
McCarter, one of the outgoing board members, said he feels privileged to have served on the board for the last four years.
“We accomplished a lot of things in four years, and there will be a lot of capital improvement projects completed in the next three years,” McCarter said.
Under the existing ordinance, airport board members’ duties include:
The current board members will have their last meeting at 5:30 p.m. Friday at city hall, 222 N. Tennessee St.
Council member Bill Cox could not be reached for comment at his office on Wednesday afternoon. Council member Brian Loughmiller could not be reached at his office Wednesday afternoon as he was out of town.
Contact staff writer Brandi Hart at hartb@acnpapers.com. To post comments online, access this story at www.scntx.com.
THE CURRENT LAW
The McKinney ordinance covering membership of the airport board:
The airport board shall consist of seven members to be appointed by the city council. A minimum of five members shall be residents of the city. All board members shall serve at the pleasure of the city council and may be removed by the city council at any time. Board members shall serve two-year staggered terms. The city council shall appoint four members during even-numbered years and three members during odd-numbered years.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
CONFLICT OF INTEREST wrote on Sep 27, 2007 8:46 AM:
" CLEARLY THE INTENT IS TO HIDE WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE AIRPORT, MONEY, VESTED INTEREST, AND ETC. THOSE OWNING PROPERTY ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY, LIKE HUFF & ECT., SHOULD STAY OUT OF THIS ISSUE. STEP DONW, DO NOT TAKE PART IS ANY CHANGES...THIS IS A VIOLATION & CONFLICT OF INTEREST. HUFF HAS DONE THIS FOR YEARS, 7 SOME ONE SHOULD HAVE FILED A CONFLICT OF INTEREST LONG AGO.
THIS IS DEALING WITH PUBLIC DOLLARS, CLEARLY THE INTENT IS TO HIDE WHERE THE MONEY GOES & WHAT IT IS USED FOR.
SHAME, SHAME, ON MCKINNEY POLITICIANS.... "
LW wrote on Sep 27, 2007 9:39 AM:
" Since when is it OK to let non-elected board members from outside of McKinney spend McKinney tax dollars? The makeup of the new board is heavily weighted with airport "tenants" whose interest is in having an airport that best meets their needs, rather than with members who have an equally strong interest in fiscal responsibility with our money.
Think of it as a landlord-tenant situation. I don't know of any landlord who hands a tenant his checkbook and says "you're in charge now, spend it any way you want," which is exactly what the politicians in McKinney are doing. "
Somebody Like To Explain wrote on Sep 27, 2007 5:45 PM:
" Board Members from Fairview, Prosper, Plano & Lucas to comprise the majority on the airport board, in violation of our own ordinance? McKinney residents get to pay 100% of the taxes and have a 43% minority vote while our city council plays footsie with cronies.
Time to vote out all these lightweights (mayor included) and replace them with people who will protect the interests of the taxpaying McKinney citizen. "
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