Open Letter to the Gwinnett BOC: Time to Fish or Cut Bait

Dear Chairwoman Nash and Commissioners Beaudreau, Heard, Howard, and Lasseter: 

Greetings. 

After [Tuesday] evening's public comments session following the conclusion of your body acting on zoning matters, from the public comments, if there was any definitive message which came forth from the public comments, it was that it is time for you members of our Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners to either fish or cut bait. Therefore, at the 2:00 PM Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, June 5, 2012, the airport issue should be given an up or down vote. 

Is it time to fish or cut bait? Tell us in the comments.

It is my personal opinion that since Chairwoman Nash took over the helm of our county that she, along with each of you commissioners, has been given ample information to make an informed decision on the airport. A decision that should be made before the Primary Election Tuesday, July 31, 2012. To do otherwise would, in my opinion, leave your political integrity in question. 

My position is, or should be, well known on the privatization of Gwinnett County Airport Briscoe Field for commercial airline service. I am adamantly opposed to turning our county owned airport over to a speculative investor who, from what I can tell, has no successful track record.

Although I have heard a figure of $107 million given as an investment to build a terminal with possibly ten gates, anyone with the common sense of a gnat knows that county bonds would have to be issued to upgrade the existing infrastructure "inside and outside the fence" to support such a venture. 

The airport sits in a major drainage basin. Did you know that 75% of the storm water runoff which exits the airport property comes from off site? Did you know that the existing culverts on the airport are undersized for the 100 year flood? Did you know that the existing culverts under Hurricane Shoals Road and S.R 316 are undersized and create backup? With the addition of impervious surfaces "inside the fence" it would require major drainage upgrades to meet the requirements of the 100 year storm water flood. Improvements would necessitate major expenditures. 

What about the runway itself? Did you know that the existing runway at Briscoe Field is rated at 60,000 lbs. dual wheel capacity? What would the requirements be to strengthen the runway to accommodate a fully loaded Boeing 737 aircraft? The existing runway is 6,000 ft. in length. Is this length sufficient to accommodate landings and take offs of Boeing 737 aircraft? The runway is 100 ft. in width. This width does not meet minimum FAA requirements. Would an extended or new runway go over Cedars Road or would Cedars Road have to be relocated? Would an extended or new runway require acquisition of private property? Would an extended or new runway require the acquisition of private property between Hosea Road and S.R 20 to meet FAA variances? Additional major expenditures. 

I haven't begun to address the supporting infrastructure requirements "inside the fence" much less those "outside the fence." What I do know is that the cost of infrastructure improvements "inside the fence" should send up a Red Flag to not only you members of our Board of Commissioners, but to those in Gwinnett County that you work for aka "We the people" aka taxpayers. 

We taxpayers expect our Board of Commissioners to incur bond debt to provide for public safety and public works infrastructure which are the core services of county government. What we taxpayers do not expect is for our Board of Commissioners to incur bond debt to support a private enterprise venture which is risky at best. 

In closing, I appreciate your service to our county and I expect each of you to have the courage of conviction in bringing the matter of the privatization of Gwinnett County Airport Briscoe Field before the public for an up or down vote on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. 

Respectfully, 

James H. (Jimmy) Orr, Jr.

Bethlehem, Ga.