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January 28, 1988 Cabarrus County Commissioners Commissiouers~ I would like to review some items and raise some questions concerniug the Airport Master Plan and Environmental Assessment for the proposed Cabarrus County Airport. The first item is the "study" itself. A letter from the State Department of Transportation dated June 3, 1987 refers to the study as an "update" master plan study. The resume of Gary Logston and Darrell Betterson (page 90 and 92 of the Environmental Assessment) refer to an updated Cabarrus County Study. Gary Logston worked for Talbert, Cox, and Associates in 1978/79 and worked on the study of the proposed Cabarrus County Airport at~ that time. When the County Commissioners voted on September 16,19~5 to fund a study, it directed that a completely new study be ~erformed. Five firms submitted proposals to do this study. Three questions need to be answered. 1. Why did the County Manager recommend the firm that Gary Logstou |lad moved to (Wilbur Smith) ? 2. Did the taxpayers get a completely new study for their $44,908 or did we get an update of an old study? 3. If this is a completely new study, why are the 1977/1978 assessments for Prime Farmland, Archeological, Wildlife and Flora and Water Quality used in the 1987 Environmental Assessment? Other areas of the study also raise some interesting observations and questions. Why are there no proposals or examples from Fixed Bases Operators (FBO) on the financial aspects of the proposed airport? Why was the economic aspects of an airport not updated in the Master Plan? On page A26 and A27 the study still shows $1,788,400 for lodging, food, entertainment not the $255,658 on page 75 of the Environmental Assessment. The largest revenue item for the FBO claimed in the study is for fuel sales. Depending on where you look the dollars range from $174,350 (Page A-21), $1,063,681 (page H-15), $691,393 (page H-31). Fuel sales are projected to be more than half of the FBO's revenue. But on Page H-39, the consultant recommends that the County retain control of the fuel sales, because fuel sales is tile most important revenue source. Where does this leave the Fixed Base Operator? Why did the consultant make this recommendation and not show it in any of his financial projections?