NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission will refocus its efforts toward hiring an airport manager and hopes to square away a new job posting by the end of January. 

 

The Airport Commission held a special meeting Tuesday to solely focus on the airport manager position and agreed to pinpoint exactly what was wanted out of a manager before restarting the search process at the end of the month.

 

"I think our goal, from what I am hearing, is to provide services to pilots and businesses on the airport. We want to grow faster for the broader community, but we have to figure out how that fits," Chairman Dan Caplinger said. "How much is that with the airport manager and how much of that is something else. We really do not have a firm idea of what that is."

 

But first, the commissioners agreed they need to review the current job description and have a conversation with new Mayor Jennifer Macksey about potentially creating a salaried position.

 

"I know the city has limited resources but we have to advocate for what we need at the airport," Caplinger said. "It is a balancing act."

 

Late last year, the commission interviewed finalist airport manager candidate Bruce Goff after a five-month search. But after some discussion, the commissioners agreed to delay their decision. Some members were not confident in the current structure of the job description and wanted to further discuss the possibility of a full-time manager.

 

The current position, held for years by Willard "Bill" Greenwald, is a stipend position.

 

The commissioners did discuss the job description alongside what they thought a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) would look like at the airport.

 

"They will do things beyond the manager and what is in the job description," Commissioner Marc  Morandi said. "Having an FBO means there is always someone there to answer the phone and radio …If we don't have one that means there is more to do for the manager."

 

The city released a request for proposals for an FBO last year and only received interest from one qualified organization that eventually pulled out of consideration.

 

Airport user Michael Milazzo was not surprised and said North Adams simply was not big enough to support an FBO that is financially viable.

 

"There is not enough money to support an actual business that will run an FBO … It just does not exist, and it will not exist for a long time at the airport," he said. "Every airport I go to this size has people who just hang around and help give out this information."

 

He added that although Bennington, Vt., and Pittsfield have FBOs, that is not their sole function. They are essentially businesses, such as a a flight school or aircraft repair business, which operate at the airport and that aid in some administrative duties. He said these FBOs serve a much different function than ones at larger airports like Albany, N.Y.

 

"We are not Albany, and we will never be Albany," he said. 

 

The other option was to review the airport manager position and possibly increase the already increased stipend of $12,000 a year.

 

Even this doubled amount did not attract many qualified candidates during the last search. Morandi said unqualified people applied as well as people from other parts of the country who clearly did not understand what the position entailed.

 

He said only local applicants really knew about the realities of the position. There was a sense among the commission that an increase in pay would more accurately reflect the job duties, especially if an FBO is currently off the table.

 

Caplinger did not know what the city should make a priority, noting there was a "chicken or the egg" situation in play. He asked if an FBO would attract a complementary airport manager or does the city need a figurehead in place to inform what sort of FBO the airport can support. He felt determining a pay increase was a similar predicament. 

 

He said the commission's main focus should be to better the airport even if it is just in the interim.

 

"I think it is our responsibility to figure out what the airport needs and whether it needs more capacity from a management role. If so, it is our responsibility to work with the decision-makers at the city to see if we can work that into a future budget," he said. "We aren't going to make that decision today, but we are getting the ball rolling."

 

One thing the commission agreed on was that the manager needs to have a sense of property management and help bring a restaurant into the new administrative building.

 

Caplinger asked if the city considered a consultant to run the airport but noted this would likely cost more than the $12,000 budgeted. He added that it may be possible to find a shared service with another airport.

 

He added that it may be beneficial to increase the position to at least part time instead of an "on-demand stipend position." He acknowledged this too would come with a budget increase.

 

The commission agreed at the very least a higher salary could attract more candidates.

 

"Can we tweak the job description and the pay in an attempt to catch more fish out there?" Morandi asked.

 

Morandi added that the commission does have a few procedural issues and because there are vacancies on the commission, two members make a quorum. This means only one commissioner can look at the applications. More eyes on the applications would force a public meeting.

 

The commission hopes to wrap up its amended job description over a series of meetings in January before starting a new search. Caplinger said this would take a few months to conduct the search, depending on the mayor's feelings toward the new budget line.

 

This means Administrative Officer Angie Ellison would have to continue running the day-to-day at the airport, something she said is becoming increasingly difficult with her other city duties. She said she will not be able to give the airport the time it deserves going forward.

 

The commission said they hope to speak with Ellison and former manager Greenwald to better get a sense of how much time the job actually needs.