Friday, April 26, 2024 | St. Lawrence County, NY
By JIMMY LAWTON OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg City Council and the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority have reached an agreement that will allow the authority to tap into the city’s water and sewer …
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By JIMMY LAWTON
OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg City Council and the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority have reached an agreement that will allow the authority to tap into the city’s water and sewer lines at the airport.
The deal will allow the OBPA to move forward with a 1,200-foot expansion of the runway and various other upgrades that will allow 177 passenger airplanes to land and fly out of the city.
The deal took longer than expected due to complications with the city’s laws, which require an outside user fee to be charged to property owners outside of the city that tap into the municipal lines.
Deputy Mayor Wayne Ashley said the OBPA will be exempt from this fee because it is a public authority, however to ensure that the process will remain legal, the OBPA must retain ownership of the airport.
Ashley said that if the property were sold to another entity, the outside user fees would be charged.
The project will be 95 percent funded by the Federal Aviation Administration with the Department of Transportation and OBPA each supplying 2.5 percent, according to OBPA Executive Director Wade Davis.
However Davis said the authority is still waiting to hear back from the Federal Aviation Administration to find out exactly how much the agency will contribute.
At the Monday meeting Davis thanked the city for their assistance in moving the project forward.
According to Davis the expansion will bring an estimated 38,000 visitors to the city annually and will account for millions of dollars in economic impact.
Mayor William Nelson praised the collaboration between the city and the OBPA, which he says was also integral in bringing and explosives manufacturer to the area. Maxam opened last week in the OBPA’s heavy industrial park and employs approximately six people.
The airport expansion plan calls for a 1,200-foot expansion of the airport’s runway and involves moving a portion of Route 68. Davis said there have been endless hurtles for the project, but nearly all have been cleared. Davis said the project is ambitious as the OBPA is attempting to complete a 10-year project in a two-year timeline.
OBPA Board of Directors Chairman Sam LaMacchia said the airport would be a “game changer” for Ogdensburg.
