By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
City council members have voted to join in the creation of a new lobbying organization in a further effort to restore commercial air service at Del Rio’s airport.
City council members voted 7-0 to join the RESTORE Air Service Coalition following a presentation by City Manager Shawna Burkhart during the council’s most recent meeting on Jan. 27.
After City Secretary Mari Acosta read the heading of the agenda item, Mayor Al Arreola recognized Burkhart.
Burkhart told the council, “The RESTORE Air Service Coalition is a 501(c)(4), which would be formed and is a group of smaller airports in the United States who are actively seeking to fix current federal funding programs and create new ones that support and secure the daily air service or airports that are struggling to make current (federal) programs of EAS (Essential Air Service) and SCASDP (Small Community Air Service Program) work.”
Burkhart told the council the RESTORE Coalition is made up of small regional airports and private-sector stakeholders and will begin lobbying Congress over the next two years. She said RESTORE will serve “as an advocate organization” to lobby Congress and the Trump administration to make changes to existing programs like EAS and SCASDP that can help small communities establish or re-establish commercial air service.
In addition, Burkhart said RESTORE is planning a new, third program.
“Basically (the program would be funded by) tacking on $5 to international flights into the U.S., and that $5 fee would fund, through those international flights, enough to fund a three- to five-year grant to these smaller cities,” Burkhart said, adding the new program would also be set up to fund programs over longer time periods than existing EAS or SCASDP grants.
Burkhart told the council the program would cost the city about $15,000 a year to join and would last about two years. She added she has briefed members of the Del Rio Economic Development Corporation’s board of directors and said she believes the city and the DREDC can split the cost of joining.
Burkhart also listed the other cities that may be part of the RESTORE Coalition, including Williamsport, Pa.; Erie, Pa.; Wenatchee, Wash.; Dubuque, Iowa; Elmira, N.Y.; Jamestown, N.Y.; Alamogordo, N.M.; Somerset, Ky.; Hagerstown, Md.; Topeka, Kan.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; La Crosse, Wisc.; Grand Junction, Colo.; and Telluride, Colo.
Burkhart told the council, “If the EDC chooses to join in and participate at the $7,500 amount, it is not in the budget currently, and so we would bring that budget amendment back to you as well as having you approve that transaction for the EDC because this was not anticipated in the budget.”
Arreola asked if there were any questions, and Councilwoman Carmen Gutierrez asked, “So $7,500 funding from the EDC and $7,500 from the city?”
“For one year, and he said the max would be two years’ time to get the legislation passed,” Burkhart replied.
Gutierrez asked about the deadline for the city to sign the letter of intent to participate.
Burkhart said the city must sign by the end of February.
“We would need to notify the RESTORE Coalition if we are going to participate,” she added.
“Have you identified the funding source yet, where it might come from?” Gutierrez asked.
“It would have to come from the funds in the airport line item (in the budget). If there are no funds available at the time, then we will most likely have to look at the funds coming from the increase on the (international) bridge tolls, but $7,500, potentially, to participate in a lobbying effort, I believe, is a fairly good …,” Burkhart replied.
Gutierrez interjected, “So if we move to approve this action to join the RESTORE Coalition, you will come back in a couple of weeks with the details, and then we can approve the final?”
“That’s correct,” Burkhart said.
Gutierrez then made a motion to join the RESTORE Coalition, with Councilwoman Ernestina “Tina” Martinez giving the second.
Before taking a vote, Arreola asked about a cost breakdown for the organization included in the memo on the RESTORE Coalition and asked if the city would be responsible for all of the costs listed.
Burkhart replied that all of the 25 cities participating in the coalition would share the total costs.
“So the $15,000 is what we’re going to pay out. We don’t have to worry about the rest (of these costs)?” Arreola asked.
“No, our $15,000 would be paying a portion of those costs, and then there will be 24 other cities participating,” Burkhart replied.
Martinez asked about the $5,000 one-time cost to establish the 501(c)(4).
Burkhart replied, “That’s part of it. We are one entity amongst 25 total, and so our $15,000 or $7,500 will go toward that effort. This is just giving you the budget for the first six months of the organization.”
Arreola commented, “I love it. As long as it can provide from three to four years grant. That will be awesome.”
“I did run this by Congressman (Tony) Gonzalez’s staff today, and so they are aware of it as well, and they are looking out for it,” Burkhart added.
Arreola called for the vote, and the council voted 7-0 to approve joining the coalition.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
