Benedum Airport Authority member and current West Virginia Senator Mike Romano publicly lambasted a project involving the extension of the runway at the Morgantown Municipal Airport as “the biggest waste of tax dollars that could possibly come about.” Romano, speaking today inside the terminal building at the North Central West Virginia Airport, spoke at length of his displeasure with the proposed project.

 

“What they’re going to do is create two mediocre airports; neither one that is going to have the opportunity to succeed,” said Romano.

 

The project in question that drew the ire of Romano is a runway extension at Morgantown’s Hart Field that has been discussed for years. According to a recent report on MetroNews.com, a project involving the United States Air Force Reserves training group would assist in extending the runway from the existing 5,199 feet an additional 1,001 feet to get to 6,200 feet.

 

NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock said that the reason for the extension is that Morgantown wants the extension to acquire “international flights.” Romano sarcastically added after Rock’s comment that “they’ll pack those.” An airport would need a 6,200 foot runway for international flights.

 

Regardless of the reason, MetroNews.com’s report quotes Morgantown Assistant City Manager Glen Kelly as saying the project to extend the runway has a price tag of $31 million. Kelly said that bringing in the Air Force Reserves, which the article says creates landing zones in parts of Iraq, would save “at least $8 million and as much as $12 million.”

 

Romano said if the project moves forward that you’ll be duplicating the same product within miles of one another at a cost of millions of dollars to taxpayers. He said it doesn’t make sense.

 

“(What) you’re going to have is two more nice 8,000 foot runways that aren’t going to benefit any particular community other than those who think they have to have an airport in the backyard,” said Romano. “ … Here we are spending $30 million in these times, when budgets are tight across the board to create something that nobody needs. It just couldn’t be any sillier.”

 

Rock echoed those comments.

 

“You want to give every community a chance to be the best that you can be, but if you look at it from a 30,000 foot view perspective I don’t understand how anyone from a common sense perspective could find that it makes a lot of sense,” said Rock.

 

Romano requested that a letter be drafted by the Airport Authority – the governing body of the NCWV Airport – and sent to all members of West Virginia’s federal delegation, the governor and other authorities deemed to be proper to the concerns of aviation in West Virginia. To help the cause, Romano said he was hoping to have groups like the Harrison and Marion County Commissions, various local city councils, the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex and others sign off on the letter.

 

Authority member Randy Kerns said that it would be more beneficial to have someone outside the communities served by the NCWV Airport to sign off on the letter as well.

 

“What other organizations do we partner with or can we think of that (can sign off on this that’s not local)? It’s almost like we’re crying foul … It just makes sense because it’s just such an abuse of tax payer dollars … We need to put additional political pressure on them,” said Kerns.

 

Romano suggested that the letter should contain a clear stating of facts as it relates to the ongoing situation that he further labeled as “stupid.” Romano suggested that fiscally responsible taxpayer groups might be interested in joining into the discussion.

 

“We show enough facts that we’re not just bellyaching. If they had the 8,000 foot runway and you guys tried to spend $30 million to extend this, I would be raising hell too,” said Romano. “ … This is the biggest boondoggle since the bridge to nowhere in Alaska.”

 

Bridgeport Mayor Robert Greer, who sits on the Authority, said Sen. Joe Manchin recently offered to mediate a discussion between the NCWV Airport and Morgantown. He said Manchin was aware the issue between the two airports isn’t new.

 

“Maybe he has the clout to make it happen,” said Greer.

 

Kerns and Romano both welcomed the involvement of Manchin. Kerns, however, said he wasn’t sure if it was necessary.

 

“I’m not exactly sure what he’s mediating,” said Kerns. “I’m not exactly sure there’s an argument.”

 

Kerns added that there wasn’t a fight between the two airports, but added that the runway extension talk began heating back up with West Virginia University’s move into the Big 12 Conference for athletic purposes. Currently, the NCWV Airport is handling the majority of those flights and Kerns and Romano said the Bridgeport location is as close as or closer to WVU than any other airport is to their home-based school in that conference.

 

MetroNews.com’s article from April 10 also stated that the Air Force Reserves will begin to review the project in June. Kelly said in the article that construction could begin in April of next year – or one year from now.

 

The Authority unanimously approved Romano’s motion to draft the letter. Rock was tasked with coming up with the language for review. There was no word on when the letter was to be sent out.

 

Editor's Note: Top photos show Authority member Mike Romano, left and Authority President Ron Watson during today's meeting, while NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock is shown in the middle. The bottom photo shows the group during a discussion earlier in the meeting.