With major industrial companies considering moves to Coweta County, and with a runway expansion on the way, the County Commission took the Airport Authority by the haorns Tuesday.

Instead of picking new members to replace resigning members, the board decided to appoint itself as the Airport Authority.

County administrator Theron Gay said he was not aware of the board ever doing this in the past, but said commissioners felt it necessary to do.

Two of the authority members' terms expired and the board decided it was time to make a change, Gay added.

“There's just a lot of things happening,” he said.

During much of the last year, the authority did not have a quorum so no business could be conducted. The county has already upgraded the airport several times and is planning on a major runway expansion.

Gay anticipates the board will add the Airport Authority meetings to its regular meetings unless there are too many items to discuss. If that's the case, Gay said a separate Airport Authority meeting would be called.

After the meeting, commission chairman Vernon “Mutt” Hunter said the board had no choice.

“The airport's getting very busy and the county also owns about 70 acres down there that may be developed soon,” he said.

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