| georgenhs Dec 2 | (Ed. Note: In order that the people of Norwood may 'become acquainted with and learn more about the Norwood Municipal Airport, the Airport Commission has had prepared a series of six articles, of which this is the first.) Ordinarily a municipal airport is established and operated in ae cordance with the following steps, with very little variation. - The Town purchases the re. quired acreage from private owners and acquires title.
- The Municipality enters into a contract agreement with CA.A.
- The Airport Is built with the aid of Federal and State funds under C.A.A. supervision.
- The Town finances the construction of an Administration building and one or more hangars.
- The Town then employs a qualified Airport Manager and pays him a salary.
- A lease arrangement Is made with some fixed base operator to set up business at the airport, conduct flight operations and render service—sale of gas and oil— repair—line service, etc.
- The maintenance expense of the airport is borne by the Town including upkeep of buildings, airport lighting equipment, clerical staff to keep records, plowing of runways, taxiways, parking ramps for planes and cars and approach roads.
- In addition to this investment and operating expenses, the Town collects no revenue In the way of taxes on the land and building! and pays for the cost of lighting beacons and border lights.
- The Town must carry the various kinds of liability Insurance necessary to the operation of an airport.
- The Town must provide some kind of weather service and should provide some satisfactory means of vocal contact with airplanes In the air and on the ground for weather and wind advisory, warnings, landing information and general control of air traffic. This service must be maintained and manned while the airport Is open.
- The Town, derives some lease income from the operator and in some cases collects storage rental from aircraft owners.
Norwood Municipal Airport The airport at Norwood Is one of those earliest established also by contract agreement between the Town and the Civil Aeroneau-tlcs Agency, but on an entirely different basis. The Town of Norwood did not wish to be burdened with the responsibility of operating an' airport, preferred to avoid the Investment of funds required for land and buildings, the finançai! risk of the operation and maintenance, and expressed interest only in the benefits to be, derived by the community from the proximity of such a facility and the probable increased tax revenue and sale of Town owned public services sure to come with the growth and development of the airport and such industry as it might attract. Thus the basis was sat for the agreement between the Town and Boston Metropolitan Airport, Inc. wherein the Airport Corporation agreed to furnish the land and assume tha . liability and responsibility and financial risk of operating and managing the airport. This agreement works out as follows: - The Town acquires 4J0 acres of land at no cost
- The Town collects annually an increasing revenue in taxes on the airport buildings and land Including the land owned by the Town and the buildings on Town-owned land.
- The Town is adequately covered by the various forms of liability Insurance to the extent of a million dollars at no cost to the Town.
- The airport is maintained and operated at no expense to the Town—including, but not limited to plowing—clearing—maintenance, and operation of lighting system—aerial communications system, etc.
- The construction and maintenance and improvement of an adequate administration building, service and storage facilities, etc., with private capital.
- Full-time airport management at no cost.
- Continuous improvements with private capital to Town property Including clearing and Ailing and surfacing, landing aids, etc,
- Access to Federal and State ad funds for major Improvements with optional 26% participation by the Town.
- It la not known that any setup exists where any Town has a Municipal Airport with its many advantages to the community at no risk to the community and at no cost other than the option of contributing to get Federal aid for major improvements from time to time.
- Private enterprise purchased this land, planned this airport and constructed the first runways in 1929-30 and has operated the airport without profit for more than 25 years with faith in the future possibilities of air transportation and a strong sense of its responsibility to the community.
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(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger) | | | |
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