By ANDY GARDNER

 MASSENA -- The Town Council will hold a special meeting tonight to vote on a three-month contract with the village that covers police presence at Massena International Airport during take-offs and landings.

There is currently no contract in place and because the federal Transportation Security Administration hasn’t reimbursed the cost in the last year, the town currently owes the village about $60,000 for the service. The figure came from Police Chief Timmy Currier.

Under the deal, which the village Board of Trustees unanimously approved Monday, the town will pay $68.85 for a police presence at three flights per day for one hour each, which will only cover one-third of the cost. The rest will have to come out of the town coffers. The rate is set by Congress, Currier said. Trustee Timothy Ahfeld suggested the village and town ask Rep. William Owens if there are federal grants that could cover the remaining two-thirds.

The police presence is necessary per the TSA. They were reimbursing the town for the service annually but the money dried up because of what Town Supervisor Joseph Gray has described as “a paperwork snafu.” The town, Gray said, doesn’t have the funds to cover the service.

Currier said he sends his officers in light of the non-payment because it’s more important that the airport remain open.

He noted that the TSA used to allow airports to be staffed by private security firms, but that went out the window in 2004. Currier noted that the private firm came with a $130 per hour price tag, or $142,550 per year.

“And that’s a rate that’s nine years old,” Currier said.

A document distributed at the board meeting said New York State Police and the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department have refused to be present at Massena International flights.

Currier said he thought about having his department’s two part-time officers handle the detail, but doesn’t think it would work out long term. He cited mandatory training, the cost of equipment and uniforms, and didn’t think they’d be willing to uproot themselves from day-to-day life to handle a one-hour assignment.

Gray has previously stated that an airport in the North Country doesn’t have police on-scene for each takeoff. He would not say which, but did say it’s not in St. Lawrence County. Gray noted that Massena’s airport is under the Syracuse TSA office, whereas the other airport is under Albany-based TSA’s watch. He said the other location gets the approval because they have a response time law enforcement presence, meaning police can be there in minutes if a TSA official at the airport calls them.

“We have numerous law enforcement agencies,” Gray said in August, pointing to state troopers, Border Patrol, U.S. Customs, and Department of Homeland Security in addition to local police. “If a suspicious car is pulled over on Highway 37 in Massena and an officer calls for assistance, there are several vehicles there within five minutes. Why is this not good enough for them?”

He says that TSA officials in Syracuse will not give him a straight answer as to why Massena doesn’t fall under the response time law enforcement presence rule.