PARIS – Pilot Mark Bancroft is continuing to stress the need for airport improvements to Oxford County commissioners.

He also asked commissioners to revisit the idea of forming an airport authority to manage the airport for the county.

At the commissioners’ Tuesday meeting, Bancroft, on behalf of the Airport Committee, said the committee had an encouraging meeting last week with Brett Doney, chief executive officer of the Growth Council of Oxford Hills.

Bancroft said Doney thinks there may be transportation enhancement funds available by 2006 that could be used to lengthen the runway.

A more immediate need, said Bancroft, is for a more efficient fueling system for pilots. Quotes for a credit-card fueling system that would replace the airport’s aging fuel pumps indicate the job can be done for less than $35,000.

However, that amount is about twice his earlier estimate to commissioners. Bancroft wondered if the county had any money available for the project.

Administrative Assistant Carole Mahoney said there isn’t any state grant funding available for such a project. Commissioner Chairman Steve Merrill said the project would have to wait until the next budget season, as the 2004 budget has already been set.

“To be perfectly honest, any substantial investment in the airport only typically benefits a few residents” and is a hard-sell to taxpayers and the county’s budget committee, Merrill said.

Bancroft said his concern is that, with slow-filling, sometimes malfunctioning pumps and lack of other pilot amenities, the Oxford County Regional Airport is “this gem of a resource that’s fairly tarnished.”

The county’s airport hangars are leased by Oxford Aviation Inc., an aircraft refurbishing business owned by fixed-base operator Jim Horowitz. Bancroft said Horowitz is “eager to cooperate” with the county on creating a secure pilot’s lounge with 24-hour access and an indoor pay phone.

The committee also plans to eliminate the confusing system of locks in place on the tarmac gate in favor of one lock with non-duplicating keys. The keys will be distributed to pilots of aircraft based at the airport.

Mahoney said she is checking into having a pay phone reinstalled at the airport and will seek a legal opinion on issues of liability for the 24-hour access to the pilot’s lounge raised by Horowitz.

Bancroft also asked about the possibility of establishing an airport authority that would be fiscally responsible to the county, but in charge of its management.

Commissioners said they didn’t have any luck earlier this year when they floated the idea to towns to form an airport authority.

But committee member Larry Ketner pointed out that the idea was presented as one in which the towns would take over ownership of the airport. There are several different ways to fashion an airport authority, and not all involve a transfer of ownership.

“The (airport) authority would get the torch and run it for you,” Ketner said.

ggeraghty@sunjournal.com