Peterborough Examiner Referrer

‘To get a say, you’ve got to pay’

County offered seat on airport board, for a price

JOELLE KOVACH EXAMINER REPORTER

City council plans to invite a Peterborough County councillor to sit on the municipal airport advisory committee after all.

But the position will be reconsidered annually by city council, and there’s an expectation that the county will offer a plan, within six months, on how it intends to help pay for airport growth.

The plan got unanimous approval at a council meeting Monday following a motion from Mayor Jeff Leal.

“I have always put a premium on building bridges,” Leal said.

But the mayor’s motion hadn’t included the provisos: Coun. Dave Haacke moved (and council accepted) the annual review of the position, plus the expectation that the county produce a plan to help with any costs to drum up airport business.

“The idea is, to get a say, you’ve got to pay,” Haacke said.

Coun. Keith Riel thought the county ought to have “a voice but no vote” on the airport strategic initiatives committee, which was launched in late 2021 to advise city council on how to increase business at Peterborough Airport.

The airport is owned and run by the city but sits on Cavan Monaghan Township lands. The township reaps the property taxes from the businesses on site.

The committee currently includes Leal, Coun. Don Vassiliadis, Coun. Dave Haacke, two Peterborough citizens and two industry experts.

But there’s no one from county council on the board, though the county requested a seat.

“This city has spent $50 million to build an airport — and the county has contributed not one red cent,” Riel said, though Leal pointed out that the county closed part of Airport Road in 2010 and realigned the road for a runway extension to accommodate the aviation-related business park.

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2023-02-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-02-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://thepeexaminerepaper.pressreader.com/article/281479280561067

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