Macon City Council Committees Vote On Terminal Station Leasing, Airport | News

The Public Works and Engineering Committee and the Public Properties Committee met Monday night to talk about the future ownership of Macon's Terminal Station, the condition of runways at Middle Georgia Regional Airport, and road maintenance. 

One resolution that came up was the lease agreement with Macon-Bibb Transit Authority for the Terminal Station Building. Council members voted 3 to 2 to extend the existing short term lease with Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority.

"All we did today was simply extended the current lease, it has nothing to do with turning it over, it has nothing to do with selling it to the Macon Transit Authority. They will continue to manage it for us and they do a good job," said Rick Hutto, Macon City Council. 

Two resolutions with Middle Georgia Regional Airport were also discussed and both passed unanimously. 

One regarding an agreement with Georgia Department of Transportation for repairs to areas of the airport and access road relocation. The project would cost just under 135,000 dollars and the city would contribute a little more than 3,300 dollars to that. 

The other: a request to send a letter to the Peach State's congressional leaders asking them to introduce legislation that would give some federal funds to runway expansion projects for the airport. 

"The city doesn't have that kind of money, so one of the things we did today was something asking our senators and our congressmen to try to come up with federal dollars. Is that realistic given the threat of sequester? Probably not, but you know if you don't ask you're never going to get," said Hutto.  

"While it is good legislation and I support it, I question how far would it go with the mindset and the posture that the Congress has taken under the leadership of Speaker Boehner that there are no more earmarks," said Henry Ficklin of Macon City Council. 

Council also approved a contract with the Georgia Department of Transportation in which the city will cut the grass and pick up the litter on state highways within Macon. 

The city will be reimbursed for the work, but they estimate the reimbursement would only cover 70 to 80 percent of the cost.