Copyright 1998. The Tuskegee News. Published Thursday, November 26, 1998.
A plan for improvements to Moton Field was not accepted at
Tuesday's meeting of the Tuskegee City Council after three
members of the council who voted to not accept the plan participated in an unannounced meeting Monday.
Council president Freddie Washington and council members
Lateefah Muhammad and Jess Colson voted against accepting a
approved by the Alabama Department of Aeronautics that could
have provided up to $866,000 for improvements such as a global
positioning (landing) system and an updated airport plan. Voting in favor were Mae Doris Williams and Rozell Chappell Jr.
There was no discussion prior to the vote when the question
was called for. At the previous regular council meeting, representatives of the Alabama Department of Aeronautics attempted
to present its report for improvements to the airport for acceptance, but left the when it was debated by council members if
they should be allowed to deliver the report since they weren't
on the agenda. The FAA has been awaiting council approval
since fiscal year 1996 in order for the request to be reviewed for
funding.
Following Tuesday's meeting, Chappell said he was told by a
fellow council member that there was an unannounced meeting
Monday at Muhammad's law office attended by Colson, Wash-
ington and Muhammad. Chappell said he and Williams were not
invited. It is Chappell's understanding from at least one member
who attended the meeting that the three council members had a
telephone conference call with Quinton Smith in Washington
D.C. about pending grants for the airport, including a $26 mil-
lion request from the Tuskegee Airport Authority submitted
about five years ago. That plan is on file with the FAA.
Washington and Muhammad declined to comment to the
Tuskegee News about their position on the airport matter following Tuesday's council meeting.
Also at Tuesday's meeting, a resolution was introduced to be
voted on later that reaffirms the 1993 Airport Authority incorporation papers. The resolution asks that the City Council of the
City of Tuskegee, as owner/sponsor of Moton Field Municipal
Airport, adopt this resolution reaffirming the Tuskegee Airport
Authority, Inc., as the duly appointed, authorized and qualified
entity representing the city of Tuskegee in matters of airport
development and airport operations at the Moton Field
Municipal Airport in Tuskegee.
Following the meeting, Colson said, "There has been an airport
authority since 1993. The authority was approved for $26 million
in funding several years ago when someone in city government
(previous administration) sidetracked the plan. We have a choice,
We can abolish the airport authority and let the city council call
the shots, or create an entity that will handle details and responsibility at the airport."
During citizen comments at the end of Tuesday's meeting, Col.
(Ret.) Herbert Carter of Tuskegee, a member of the famed
Tuskegee Airmen, expressed his disappointment at the vote to
not accept the airport funding plan.
"You have been misled. It concerns me what you have done to
the city of Tuskegee," Carter said.
He added it's wrong to turn down improvements at this time
while pursuing a $26 million plan which in Col. Carter's opinion,
will never be approved.
In other business, the council:
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