The Aug 18, 2008 edition of the Sun News announced a series of meetings on the proposed expansion of the airport terminal where residents will be able to make verbal and written comments regarding the project. At an earlier meeting, Rick Ott of MB Kahn (airport consultant) advised the public that they could only submit questions in writing.

M.B. Kahn Construction Company has been in business since 1927 and is headquartered in Conway, SC. Their web site depicts many beautiful commercial and municipal construction projects. However; none of which are airports. Rick Ott’s position with the Kahn Company can not be attained without setting up a profile and reason for asking employee information. His Sun News article of Aug.18^th said his title was Senior Vice-President and construction manager of the Myrtle Beach airport project. I have to assume the Myrtle Beach International Airport will be the Kahn’s Company’s first attempt at building an airport as well as Mr. Ott’s

In preparation for the Surfside meeting Surfside resident, Joe Zoltak, submitted the questions below as was asked:

 “Since residents of Horry County are prohibited from asking questions at your series of airport presentations, but written questions will be answered.   I request that you answer the following written questions at your presentation here in Surfside Beach on Aug 20 at 5 P.M.”

At a recent County Council meeting, you showed a chart indicating peak capacity at the airport for a short period at mid-day for only the summer months. 

Question 1:  Using this chart, how can expansion of the airport be justified? 

Question 2:  What do charts from other similar airports contemplating expansion look like using these same parameters?  Would you be kind enough to present charts from other similar airports."

Question 3:  The data that you are using to justify the expansion is not current reflecting the oil crisis and decline in air service world wide.  Why are you using obsolete data?  Please ensure that the data you present also reflects the departure of United and Southern Skways from Myrtle Beach and the 5 month decline in air service.  Also include data addressing the impact of new air line fees for additional luggage and fees for golf bags up to $100.  Would you be kind enough to update your charts with current data and trends for this presentation?

Question 4a:  Recent news articles indicate that you are presenting three expansion options for the terminal.  Could you present a fourth option which would be to merely modernize (with added efficiencies) the existing terminal as a near term plan and shelf your three long term options until the future of the airline industry stabilizes?

4b:  Perhaps your short term plan can incorporate smart design features and "efficiencies" which could then be incrementally executed as the airline industry recovers.  County council just slashed airline fees in an attempt to recruit airlines.  How will this revenue decrease be made back up while increasing debt significantly with a full blown expansion? 4c: If the airport defaults because of revenue shortfalls and unaffordable debt, will taxpayers be liable to bail it out?

All these are questions based on current information and are not unreasonable; however Mr. Ott decided he should have some Horry County Council member answer. The response that follows is where things got somewhat out of hand:

     Mr. Zoltak - A Council member has asked that I respond to the questions below posed by you. The questions that you pose have all been asked before - for about the last decade - and will not be answered nor debated again by Mr. Ott. No changes are anticipated in his presentation or calculations. If you are tremendously concerned, may I suggest that these questions be posed to one of several persons, namely, Doug Decker, Lou Kreiger, Bill Darby, Paul Gable or George James. I am certain that any of them can provide all of the answers that you need. I would also direct your attention to an exhaustive report prepared by The Boyd Group that is available in the office of the Greater Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. JOHN WEAVER, Horry County Attorney

Doug Decker is not part of the County Council or on any committee he is merely a concerned citizen, with a lot of knowledge about airports. He does not have the authority to answer for anybody but himself and should not be placed in the middle of this.

What is real interesting that the authority to answer was given to Mr. Decker by the Horry County Attorney, John Weaver and if Mr. Decker wanted to respond if would have been considered “OFFICAL”. The Boyd Group Report was paid for by the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and my or may not have been used in any of the studies or proposals done by M.B. Kahn

This whole airport thing is getting out of hand and a P.R. nightmare. It has been going on forever with lost taxpayer’s money already in the millions. Somebody has to get a grip on this and soon. Right now it appears, to me, that the old saying applies “too many chefs, not enough cooks”

Every time I see articles in the paper about the Myrtle Beach Airport (MYR) I still am not convinced that we should spend the millions of dollars on a new airport at this time.

Taking a look at the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and comparing the basic categories of Passengers coming in and out, Departures, Carriers, and Freight weight, compared with the other Airports, in the area. The MYR in the 12 mo. ending in May of 2008 the number of passengers arriving and departing were up by1.41%, Charleston was up 24% and Wilmington was up 18% The other categories MYR are either the same or down. Carriers, for instance, in Florence remained the same as did MYR during the same time period, but since then MYR has lost one, Delta. The other two competing airports added three new carriers during that time frame. MYR’s freight weight was down by 15.14% which was a lot more than Charleston, at 11.10% and Wilmington at 8.12%, interesting, that Florence was up by 36.47%. 

This information along with continued questions, of who should run the MYR and the other three county airports, I think maybe we should put our money into getting an interstate highway built, because the majority of the tourists are driving here.

The Horry County Council voted against any authority taking over the management of the airports, but now they are putting four members of the Council on a panel which will discuss creating an authority, just to see what they are discussing. That sounds like the panel will have four nonparticipating members that will be in a defense mode. One of the nonparticipating County Council members is Howard Barnard, he says the MYR is making a profit every year and is managed very well by the County. This comes after he made a statement a Chamber of Commerce earlier this year that the Airport Manager should be fired. Well, profits are coming from the higher fees to do business at MYR, which they just reduced, certainly the statistics above are telling a different story.

I am not sure, an authority is the way to go or not, I am sure that the way the MYR is being portrayed, at least to the public is feckless.