It was a night of hellos and goodbyes at the Farmingdale Republic Airport Commission meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 14. While the board gladly welcomed Molloy College as the new tenants of their "Mini Terminal" building, they sadly said farewell to Stephen Williams, who has served as airport manager for the past 11 years.

Operations, complaints and financial reports for September and October were also presented. Recent events were discussed and updates were provided on the perimeter fence construction as well as the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Transformation Study. Resolutions were discussed, but not voted on because board Chairman Frank Nocerino could not attend the meeting.

Williams began the meeting by detailing the operations and complaint reports. He noted that September, in particular, had increased traffic due to Labor Day air shows. Of the complaints report, Williams pointed out that a good portion of the complaints have come from one undisclosed home, and the majority of them are caused by transient aircraft; planes making a stop at Republic Airport that are unaware of the rules and regulations of the airport.

Airport Director Hugh Jones then presented the financial reports. Jones revealed that the airport was currently $18,000 over budget, due in large part to the "Mini Terminal" at the airport being without a tenant for a few months this year. BOCES had rented the facility last year.

Jones moved onto recent events, thanking the eight World War II veterans who attended the Pearl Harbor anniversary event on Dec. 7 at the airport's Airpower Museum, as well as the Grumman Corporation for providing the military planes, Prowler and Hawkeye, that were displayed at the airport in recent months. Later in the evening, Jones remembered to mention the success of the airport's first Halloween event. With little preparation, the event still managed to draw 700-1000 attendees.

"It's a real tribute to those involved and a great start," Jones said of the event, which he added will become annual.

Williams gave an update on the fence being rebuilt around the airport. An eight-foot fence is currently in construction, replacing the old fence that varied in height, and stood as low as four feet. The FAA-initiated project is approximately 85 percent done, according to Williams.

An overview of the NYSDOT Transformation Study was provided by the Director of Passenger Transportation, Steven Lewis. Lewis went into detail about the five areas the study is focusing on; mobility and reliability, safety, economic stability, security and environment conservation and safety.

The topic of resolutions was then brought up; however, since the board chairman was not in attendance, it was decided that they would still be read. The Molloy College "Mini Terminal" resolution would be treated as a ratification at the February meeting.

The first resolution brought up gave the details of Molloy's lease of the "Mini Terminal." The deal, which will provide $240,000 in revenue annually, will commence this month. The facility will house classrooms for the nursing, education and adult education programs slated to begin in January 2005, though a building inspection was set to begin the day after the meeting.

The evening's other resolution was to thank Williams for his years of dedication to the airport, as he moves into his new position as the director of airport operations with the Delaware River Bay Authority. The new airport manager will be Shelly LaRose, the previous assistant manager.

"Since you can't vote, I guess I can't leave," Williams quipped.

Williams expressed his fondness for his time at Republic Airport calling the staff there "a team you can be proud of." He promised that he would remain an integral part of operations even after his departure, as he will still be a member of the New York Aviation Management Association for another two years.

"Aviation is a close community," Williams said. "There are no borders when you're in the air."

On behalf of the staff at NYSDOT, Lewis thanked Williams, saying, "Godspeed and we wish you all the best of luck."

John Harden, the vice president of AvPORTS, the aviation group managing Republic Airport, spoke a few words of his experiences with Williams. Fighting back tears, Harden said of Williams, "He's not only a respected colleague, but my best friend."

After more words of support for Williams from Airport Commissioners Stella Barbera and Joan Flamembaum, the floor opened up to public comments.

Irv Hannon, a World War II veteran, thanked Williams and Jones for their help with the Pearl Harbor event. Two Farmingdale residents had complaints. The first wanted to know the status of the 16,000-pound weight limit on aircraft at Republic Airport and the most recent environmental evaluation, the loss of tax income caused by a recent land purchase by the airport. Lewis responded by saying that many of the issues are currently in arbitration and cannot be discussed.

The second resident questioned whether Molloy College would be providing any tax income because of their leasing the land for non-aviation purposes. The board believed that Molloy College was exempt because of their status as a private institution [BOCES was also a public institution], though they promised they would look into it.

The next Farmingdale Republic Airport Commission meeting will be held in February. For more information visit www.republicairport.net or call 631-752-7707.