Chairman Tannehill Has His Say

At the Airport Authority meeting today, Chairman Joe Tannehill made the following statement that summarizes the enormous work that has been done - and done by a lot of people - to date.

Tannehill eloquently detailed where the project is headed, and the Board's commitment to the success of the relocated airport. His full statement follows.

"I’d like to take a moment to try to bring some perspective to where we are in the overall process of relocating our airport. As you all know, there’s been a lot of activity this spring, and we are moving ever closer to groundbreaking.

"This airport board, along with our executive director, has been actively managing an extremely complex process – a process that has been proceeding on several parallel tracks.

"We’ve been managing the environmental track, which will culminate in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s issuance of the Section 404 permit – the final permit we need before we can break ground. As you all know, this board – and previous boards – have been committed to protecting West Bay as part of the overall effort to relocate the airport. That goal is now very much in reach.

"We’ve also been moving forward on a financing track – securing funds from the state and the FAA – and negotiating the land donation agreement with the St. Joe Company. At the same time, we’ve been managing the sale of the existing airport property. We are making excellent progress on the sale of this property, and in the end I think we will have completed a deal that benefits the citizens of Bay County.

"We are moving forward on a construction track. Earlier this year we hired KBR and PBS&J as our project/construction manager and our lead design firm, respectively. On Thursday, we will be receiving bids from a number of qualified companies for the site preparation work at the new airport. We feel good about where we are in this process as well.

"And we are moving forward on the air service track, meeting with airlines, marketing our community and working very hard to bring more competitive air service to our community. We’re getting a very good reaction in the meetings we are having. It’s up to us to deliver an airport. When we do, I’m confident we’ll be able to earn better service with a state of the art facility and a runway system that works for the airlines.

"Until now, each of these tracks has been on its own schedule. But over the next few months we’re going to see them come together, and the pace of progress will accelerate further.

"Most of the people in this room are well aware that this community has been grappling with the issue about what to do with this airport for nearly twelve years now. There are others who will say we’ve been grappling with it for sixty years. In fact, the News Herald had a front page editorial on the subject in 1946.

"But now we are in the homestretch, and we’re about to make history with the first airport built since 9/11.

"It’s been a long, detailed process – a process to which hundreds of people have devoted thousands of hours

"I would respectfully submit that through the hard work this community has put in – we’ve actually got it right. We are poised to execute the plan we put in place – a plan that was built on the West Bay Sector Planning process.

"We are about to build an airport that will meet all federal safety and design standards, an airport that will serve our community and our region for fifty years and beyond.

"We’re about to build an airport that will provide us with an economic development platform virtually unmatched in the state – unmatched in the nation.

"We’re about to build an airport that will allow us for the first time to aggressively compete for better air service.

"And perhaps most importantly, in the process of building this airport, we have crafted a deal, as detailed in the West Bay Sector Plan, to protect 40,000 acres around West Bay – the entire watershed.

"That’s unprecedented.

"We have an extraordinary opportunity here, and we will not waste it.

"And I personally would like to take this opportunity to thank this Board for its commitment and tireless effort on this project. This is a labor of love by us for our fellow citizens and for our community. I know there are members of this board who spend a full work week on airport issues – in addition to their real jobs. We can only be grateful for the services rendered by this talented group of leaders on either side of me. I am proud to serve with you.

"Make no mistake. We are moving forward. This project is going to be a success. We are committed to it. And each member of this board will honor the faith our fellow citizens have placed in us by doing this job right – in accordance with Bay County values and for Bay County’s future and for the future of Northwest Florida."

This community is fortunate indeed to have the kind of people currently serving on the Airport Authority and especially to have the leadership provided by Joe Tannehill. He is an example for all us to emulate.