Commissioners Donald I. Dell and Robin Bartlett Frazier voted yesterday to hire consultants to look for ways to make Carroll County Regional Airport profitable.
Dell and Frazier voted to pay $17,000 to a Minneapolis aviation company that would develop information on airports along the East Coast corridor that are comparable in size to the Westminster facility, which has yet to turn a profit in two decades of operation.
They also awarded a contract to a Westminster accountant to review the county's investment in the airport and determine what should be a fair return on that money - even though the county has not received an estimate for those accountant services.
In what could be their last vote as commissioners, Dell and Frazier opted to terminate the county's 25-year contract with Humane Society of Carroll County Inc. The action does not necessarily mean the county will take over operation of the animal shelter and animal-control activities.
Dell and Frazier, who lost their re-election bids in the Republican primary, have said repeatedly that they will tie up loose ends. Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge, who will begin her fourth term Monday, did not go to the office yesterday, saying action should await the new board, which will be sworn in Monday.
"I wasn't there because they were going to be talking about things they shouldn't even be talking about," said Gouge. "There shouldn't be anything like that on the agenda this week. This is a week when they should be going around and saying thank you and good-bye to the staff."
The airport has been a particularly thorny issue for the board the past two months.
Over Gouge's objections, Dell and Frazier initially sought to replace the airport's operators, Rick and Bonnie Jones. Legal complications, including the couple's contract that runs through June 2004, dissuaded them from pursuing the idea.
"It would be unreasonable for us to withhold a contract if the Joneses can perform as well with their plan," said Frazier at yesterday's meeting.
The Joneses, who were longtime partners of the airport's founder, June Poage, threatened to sue if their contract were terminated prematurely and have said they will soon submit an operation plan for the county's review.
"This is the right time to be doing evaluations of the airport," Dell said. "It is only 18 months until the operator's contract runs out. We should go ahead and make that happen."
Donald Hull, a Westminster accountant, will review the county's investment in the airport and determine what should be a fair return on the money. The county has not received Hull's estimate for his services.
"I feel strongly that Hull is important to certifying evaluations on our return on investment," Dell said.
Steven Powell, county director of management and budget, said the evaluations will "tell us what to expect and why."
"We need to know what is our investment return and to identify the financial potential for the next five years," he said. "These studies have to take place to make the airport an asset to the county."
The county will pay $17,000 to GVA Marquette Advisors of Minneapolis to develop information on comparably sized airports along the East Coast.
The county will use that data to determine the business potential of its facility, along Route 97 outside Westminster.
"We need to look at what those other airports are producing and with what combination of facilities and assets," said Gary Horst, county director of enterprise and recreation.
"We have an operation with more than 100,000 flights a year and we need the information to derive conclusions on what we should be doing there. GVA is the more pricey of the two bids we received, but it appears to be stronger with deeper exposure in the aviation industry."
The county has built seven corporate hangars and has leased two. The remaining hangars are nearly complete and are awaiting a state inspection before they can be leased.
In the Humane Society action, its contract with the county runs through June 30. Dell said the agreement should be reviewed, and the county should seek terms in any new deal that would allow it a say in the shelter's operation.
"We pay all the bills and have no control," said Dell. "The contract is too loose. We want to make sure the next board addresses those issues and insurance and personnel."
The county and the society have been parties to a contract since 1976. Dell has long wanted to renegotiate terms, but the county's study found that the agency is operating efficiently. The study recommended updating the contract and adding a commissioner to the society's board of directors.
Dell had wanted to shift animal-control responsibilities from the society to the Sheriff's Department, a proposal that the study found would lead to increased operating costs.
"It's totally ridiculous because the bottom line is the [county budget] staff has researched the issues around the Humane Society and found that the Humane Society is doing an excellent job," Gouge said.
"There is nothing about that contract that should make it null and void."
Dell and Frazier scheduled final meetings with department heads, sessions that became somewhat melancholy. County administrators delivered final reports that highlighted major projects, then bid farewell to the two commissioners.
The commissioners have one final meeting, scheduled for today. Dell has served three four-year terms. Frazier completed one term.
Sun staff writer Childs Walker contributed to this article.