CLARKSBURG — The right airline could take North Central West Virginia Airport to new heights, Clarksburg City Council heard Thursday.
A financial incentive package is necessary, though, to lure such a carrier to a small operation that relies on Essential Air Service subsidies, airport Director Rick Rock said.
“We want a partner we can grow with,” Rock told city council during a work session at Clarksburg City Hall. “The subsidy helps get them here, but eventually we want to get past that subsidy.”
Rock attended the work session to ask council to contribute $250,000 to the incentive package. That’s the same amount Bridgeport and Harrison County Commission have pledged.
The airport’s Essential Air Service contract expires Sept. 30, and the Benedum Airport Authority would like to land a large carrier that flies to a major hub such as Charlotte, North Carolina.
Silver Airways is the current Essential Air Service carrier at the airport, providing flights to Dulles Airport near Washington, D.C.
With airlines being risk-averse, the community would need to come up with $2 million to combine with the federal subsidies to convince a major carrier to take a chance on the rural airport, Rock said.
So far, about $1.45 million has been pledged formally or informally from public and private entities, Rock said.
“This is a one-time opportunity to get them (large airlines) to take a chance and put their assets here instead of somewhere else,” Rock said.
The pledge funds would serve as collateral for a line of credit, Rock said.
The line of credit would only be drawn on if the passenger count doesn’t meet projections, Rock added.
Councilman Chad Sigmon said attracting a carrier that flies to Charlotte would be exciting, given the number of West Virginia natives who live there.
Councilman Bob Caplan agreed, saying air service could entice some of those state natives to return for a show at the soon-to-be-restored Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center.
“You’re going to fulfill a need for this city — that’s the way I see it,” Caplan said.
Mayor Cathy Goings asked Rock how many carriers he expects to submit proposals by the May 3 deadline.
At least two carriers have indicated they plan to bid for the Essential Air Service package, including the current provider, Rock replied.
City Manager Martin Howe said he will include the pledge request on the agenda for next week’s meeting for council to consider.
In other business, council:
— Discussed the creation of a city development authority to assist with the financing for the Robinson Grand project.
As proposed, the 12-member development authority would create a for-profit subsidiary to accept tax credits the city is trying to secure to help defray the costs of restoring the West Pike Street landmark, Howe told council.
“Overall, we thought in putting the Clarksburg Development Authority together, it moves that project along and allows us to receive those tax credits,” Howe said.
“But also looking forward to the future, now you’re eligible for other tax credits for other types of projects,” he added.
The city purchased the Robinson Grand for $430,000 in 2014.
Restoring the former theater for use as a regional cultural center is one of the city’s goals for reviving the downtown.
— Heard an update on the Harrison County YMCA.
Under new President and Chief Executive Officer Laura McMahon, the YMCA is looking at saving $100,000 through staff realignments and expanded programming, said Craig Wagner, president of the organization’s board of directors.
The YMCA also will be kicking off a capital campaign in late April, Wagner said.
“We’re very positive things are moving in the right direction,” he said.
The city is now the YMCA’s landlord, having acquired the organization’s Lowndes Hill property in exchange for paying off $250,000 in debts on that location.
— Heard an update on the newly created Harrison County Economic Development Corporation.
Executive Director Jamie Metz said he has been approached by several companies looking to move to Harrison County.
Some of those contacts will result in new jobs in the county, said Metz, who noted he couldn’t go into details.
“We are moving forward, and there are positive things happening in Harrison County,” Metz said.
— Went over a couple of revisions to the employee handbook.
One revision, required under the federal health reform act, would allow employees who work 30 hours or more a week to enroll in the city’s health insurance plan, Finance Director Frank Ferrari said.
The other amendment, required by the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board, would allow employees who work more than 20 hours a week to enroll in the city’s pension plan, Ferrari said.
— Discussed a proposed revision to an ordinance authorizing the city to enact a 1 percent sales tax.
As proposed by bond counsel, the revision would stipulate that any bond payments for spending priorities in the ordinance come from sales tax revenues, City Attorney Greg Morgan said.
Under the ordinance, sales tax revenues would go toward public safety pensions, infrastructure improvements and economic development projects.
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