NORWICH – Airport Administrator Donald MacIntosh officially resigned his government position last Monday, but after a 25-minute executive session to discuss personnel, the Chenango County Board of Supervisors reappointed him to acting administrator at the Lt. Warren E. Eaton Airport.
Two members of the board opposed the appointment, however. They were: James J. McNeil, D-City of Norwich, and Jerry L. Kreiner, R-Plymouth.
MacIntosh was previously employed by the county as assistant real property tax director from 1999 to 2008. He had been part-time airport administrator since 1998, a position he held until Monday.
Under the New York State Employees Retirement System, and after a set number of years, employees are eligible to retire and collect their pension benefits. They can subsequently work in the public sector, though with earnings limitations, or in the private sector, without them.
As part-time airport administrator, MacIntosh, who is 70, earned $8,770 last year. He earned $33,759 in his last year as full-time assistant tax director for the county.
Following the appointment, Chairman Richard B. Decker directed the Planning and Economic Development Committee to determine the position’s salary and terms or recommend another individual to the post. The committee went into an executive session on Tuesday to discuss the matter. (The committee had also met in executive session prior to the board’s Monday morning meeting.)
McNeil, who is also a member of Planning, said he opposed MacIntosh’s appointment because the airport isn’t running as efficiently as he thinks it should.
“I was not in agreement with the person chosen. We need an individual who’s going to get the airport up and running more efficiently,” he said Wednesday.
McNeil said he was particularly dissatisfied that MacIntosh hadn’t secured a credit card reader for the airport’s fueling station so that pilots could fuel up on the weekends when there is no attendant on duty. He also questioned why the attendant wasn’t providing customers with fueling and towing services during the week anyway.
“We need to make that a viable airport,” McNeil said. “We want to sell jet fuel, for God’s sake. We don’t want them to go somewhere else.”
Committee member Dolores Nabinger, D-Bainbridge, also questioned why it has been so difficult to purchase a credit card reader for the fuel pump.
Macintosh said he was in discussion with two or three prospects for the card reader and was “moving ahead.” He explained that “a liability problem” prevented the part-time county employee from fueling and towing jets, and some pilots have refused to do their own while in business dress.
McNeil suggested that MacIntosh investigate the insurance coverage needed for the individual, or for an energy company that might possibly contract to brand the airport’s pump.
