Dalton Airport Hosts State Lawmakers On Tour
Wednesday, September 27th, 2023
The Dalton Municipal Airport is a powerful economic engine for our region but it's also not the most visible of our community's assets. On Wednesday, however, the airport took center stage as the facility hosted a fly-in visit from members of the Georgia state legislature. The lawmakers' visit to Dalton was part of a tour of airports around the state.
Wednesday's visitor list included leaders from both the Georgia State House of Representatives, the State Senate, as well as other local dignitaries. Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch was joined on the tour by Rep. Todd Jones from the House Appropriations Committee, Senator Clint Dixon (Secretary of the Senate Appropriations Committe), Rep. Rick Jasperse (Chair of the House Transportation Committee), and former Attorney General Samuel Olens.
Caption: Dalton City Councilmember Steve Farrow speaks to a tour group including members of the state legislature Wednesday in a hangar at the Dalton Municipal Airport
Wednesday's lunch reception for the tour was hosted in another new hangar facility built with private funds belonging to Steve Herndon. The City of Dalton recently received a $2.23 million grant from the state legislature to fund the construction of new hangars at the airport. That grant will pave the way for the construction of new T-hangars as well as two larger hangars that will be able to house larger jets.
"We're so grateful for the grant that we got from the state and we know that you all had a lot to do with that," said Dalton City Councilmember Steve Farrow in his welcome to the visiting lawmakers. The new hangars will be first constructed at the airport since 2008. "Our forefathers had a lot to do with starting this facility out here and it’s been a key ingredient for our economic development over the years and it will continue to be. We just so much appreciate the support from the legislature."
Farrow's comments were echoed by Airport Manager Andrew Wiersma who helped to organize Wednesday's tour in his role as president of the Georgia Airports Association. Wiersma gave the lawmakers a brief presentation about the history of the Dalton Municipal Airport and underlined the impact the facility makes on the local economy.
"The airport generates $7.8 million in annual economic activity which is very significant to our community. We've basically spent $20.4 million in the 60 years that this airport has been in existence," Wiersma said. "(Just) $20.4 million has been invested to keep this airport going over 60 years. $11.6 million in federal dollars, $5.8 million in local dollars, and $3 million in state money. Compare that to a three-year economic impact of $23.4 million."
Wiersma noted that much of the federal spending on the airport has taken place in just the last ten years with projects to resurface the apron and ramps adjacent to the main runway. Other work has included acquisition of property along the approach to the runway to clear obstructions and also adding new GPS equipment and precision approaches for aircraft. In addition to the construction of new hangar facilities for the airport, other major projects in the future include resurfacing the runway itself. The last time the runway was resurfaced was in 1985. That project is estimated to cost more than $3 million and includes replacing the existing incandescent runway lights with LEDs which will reduce the operating costs for the airport.
Caption: Dalton Municipal Airport Manager Andrew Wiersma speaks during a lunch reception for the tour group
"We've done crack seal projects multiple times, repainted multiple times, but the pavement is ready to be replaced," Wiersma noted. "It's not terrible, but it's at the point where it needs to be replaced. GDOT is amazed that it's held up as well as it has for as long as it has."
Wiersma also outlined the different operations for which the Dalton Airport serves as a home base. It's not just for recreational flights by aviation enthusiasts. Corporate travel embarks from the airport and the airport frequently services flights bringing important equipment to local industry which helps keep manufacturing facilities online. Military flights frequently use the airport for refueling and staging. Each year, the USDA also uses the airport as the home base for the operation to airdrop rabies vaccines in forests across the state to inoculate raccoons and other wild animals and cut down on the spread of the disease.
The future of the airport wasn't the only topic of conversation. Carl Campbell from the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority (JDA) also had a chance to speak to the visiting lawmakers to update them on some of the economic development initiatives in the greater Dalton area. Campbell noted that job growth in the region is continuing with QCells and Essentia Protein Solutions among manufacturing companies building new facilities in the region to add new jobs. Campbell also noted that the JDA has been working to improve the availability of housing for workers in Dalton and pointed out that 900 new apartments will be available within the next 18 months. The JDA is also working with the state to create 40 new homes for workers on land donated by the City of Dalton that will give the opportunity for working families to achieve home ownership.
"There are a lot of good things happening in Dalton and we've got a lot of good things ahead but we've got some challenges ahead as well," Campbell told the legislators. "We haven’t gotten to here and we won’t get to there without your support so we thank you for what you do and we’re excited to have you in our community."
