Everglades City To Take Over

Amidst the slew of proposed airport closings across the US, it's nice to see a local government actually welcome ownership of its airport.

Initial steps are taking place to transfer ownership of the Everglades Airpark (FL) from Collier County government to city officials of Everglades City.

In a meeting Monday at Everglades City Hall, Mayor Sammy Hamilton, County Manager Jim Mudd and airport authority officials agreed to schedule several meetings in the coming weeks to discuss details of a possible transfer plan. The city controlled the airport until 1968, when the government transferred ownership to county government through a warranty deed.

Hamilton said the city wants control of the airport again. He doesn't anticipate opposition.

In December, Collier County commissioners told Everglades City residents who were concerned that the airport might close not to worry. Commissioners promised the residents that the 32-acre site wouldn't be sold to a developer, even though one had expressed an interest in it. County officials also floated the idea of transforming the site into a park with boat launches.

But residents have argued that the airport is vital to that city's economy and for emergency evacuations.

"The airport is extremely important to Everglades City," Claudia Davenport said. "People fly in and buy stone crabs. They fly in and stay two or three days. The community would suffer greatly without it."

A joint workshop between the Everglades City Council and Collier County Commission to discuss a transfer plan has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 25 in the Collier County Commission chambers. The meeting likely will have officials on the same page: County commissioners have expressed support for a transfer, and the Everglades City Council recently passed a resolution of support for the transfer of the airport back to the city.

This coming Thursday, Airport Authority Executive Director Gene Schmidt plans to meet with Hamilton again to talk more about what would have to happen for the transfer to occur.

County officials said if the airport were to be owned and operated by the city again, the city could form its own airport authority to handle operational decisions, or it might be able to contract with the Collier County Airport Authority to continue to handle this task. That authority has a member that represents Everglades City. If the city decides to form its own airport authority, the county may have to revise its current ordinance to eliminate the Everglades City member on the Collier County Airport Authority.

The agreement to deed the ownership of the airport back to the city likely would include language that states that the property ownership would revert back to Collier County if the airport ever shuts down.

Hamilton said the airport should stay open for several reasons, including the fact that it helps tourism.

"Once you lose one (airport), you never get another one," he said. "The airport means a lot to our city. We've had a lot of things taken away from us. We don't need any more taken away."

FMI: www.florida-everglades.com/chamber/home.htm