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Airports
Dean Leifso to chair joint council meeting on Saugeen Airport
March 15, 2024 By Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times
BROCKTON – A joint meeting of the councils of Brockton, West Grey and Hanover has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 17, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Elmwood Community Centre, to discuss the Saugeen Municipal Airport.
There will be an opportunity to participate remotely, for those unable to attend the meeting in person.
Elmwood resident Dean Leifso will chair the meeting. Leifso has operated a law practice in Hanover for many years, was a member of Brockton council from 2014-2022, and chairs the Brockton Heritage Committee.
During the meeting, the auditor will provide a brief overview of the SMA finances. The purpose of this is to ensure the information comes from an “external and unbiased source,” as stated in the report presented to Brockton council on March 5. Finances have been a contentious issue for Brockton council.
Each mayor will make a statement, after which there will be general discussion on future options, as well as discussion of next steps.
Fiona Hamilton, Brockton clerk, will take minutes, to be shared with West Grey and Hanover.
Following a report presented to Brockton council in November of last year, council voted to ask the municipalities of West Grey and Hanover to proceed with selling the airport, splitting the proceeds with the cost-sharing agreement currently in place. The other two municipalities were against selling the airport.
The Brockton report stated the goal would be to secure a buyer who would continue to operate the airport to support the existing uses, especially medical flights.
The alternative that was looked at and discussed at the time would have been to increase the SMA budget to support creation of a reserve fund and strategic initiatives needed for the airport to become self-sufficient.
Among the comments made by Brockton councillors was the promised economic spinoffs from the airport have not happened, and that the airport was not an asset but a liability.
The report presented to council at the November meeting stated that the past few years have been challenging for the airport. “There were significant unbudgeted legal expenses and upgrades to the fuel system that resulted in a deficit at the end of 2022. As the SMA has operated on a very lean budget with no reserve funds for many years, it was difficult to overcome these unbudgeted expenses. While the runway and main hangar building appear to be in good shape, the SMA does not currently have a long-term asset management or capital replacement plan, and no reserves set aside for upgrades that may be needed.”
Saugeen Municipal Airport consists of approximately 254 acres, with about 56 used for growing hay. MPAC values the property at $3.5 million.
SMA has small businesses at the site including a busy flight school and restaurant.
