Published February 23, 2006
Pilot group makes it official
Deannexation papers for airport filed

After a half-day meeting between Jasper Mayor John Weaver and Airport Manager Howard Ray, a group of Jasper pilots with the backing of the county government filed papers to deannex the airport from the city of Jasper Friday.
The pilots said in the January meeting of the airport advisory committee, they would make one more effort to negotiate some additional services from the city of Jasper or proceed with asking that the airport be removed from the city limits. In a response, Weaver said, "We're already giving full service to the airport, there's nothing left to negotiate."
Airport Manager Ray said he met with Weaver privately at length but couldn't reach any satisfactory agreement and therefore, they are going to proceed with deannexation.
"We [Weaver and Ray] rode around for half a day looking at different projects in the city. We discussed a lot of things. We discussed deannexation," Ray said. "But there is no point in trying to get together any further."
Ray said at one point Weaver told him, "If [Commissioner] Rob Jones is for it, I'm against it."
Ray said Weaver also said he would let the deannexation happen "over his dead body."
Weaver said he didn't consider the meeting between he and Ray to be negotiation - "just discussions." Weaver said he never made the "over his dead body" statement, but it does characterize his feelings on the subject.
Weaver said the airport must remain annexed in the city if they are to have sewage service there and it is crucial for expansion that the airport have sewage.
"I really want the airport, the city of Jasper and Pickens County to prosper. The only way we can do this is together. I believe there is a very small special interest group creating the turmoil," he said.
Weaver said rather than serving all the county taxpayers, the county commissioner is politicking with the pilots through the deannexation.
In letters sent to Jasper city hall from the Law Office of Edwin Marger, signed by Airport Advisory Committee Chairman Marger, he asked that the city's planning and zoning commission and city council proceed with deannexation as soon as possible. The group paid $325 using a check from Pickens County government for a zoning application fee to start deannexation proceedings
The accompanying application signed by Commissioner Robert Jones states "To de-annex property" as the reason for the hearing.
Marger said he had hoped the city and county could work together to expand the airport, but it appears at this point, it won't happen.
Marger said he will represent the fellow pilots with no charge in seeing the matter presented to the city council, but if the dispute winds up in court, the pilots are planning to "chip in" to pay an outside law firm with expertise in these types of suits.
In preparing the information for the deannexation, Marger and Ray found an odd situation, which they will press the city on initially. According to the city records, they only annexed a 74 acre parcel identified as the airport. But the airport is 140 acres, according to Ray.
Ray said he suspects this was a mistake, but now the issue becomes which part of the airport is annexed.
The pilots' position is the city annexed the runway which lies adjacent to the previous city limits and not the area where the hangars are and planes are parked, which would lie behind the runway in relation to the city limits before annexation.
Marger said this situation and how it relates to the city tax bills will be discussed at the next airport advisory committee meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at the airport terminal.
Many pilots have maintained that they were annexed against their wishes initially in 2004 and now receive no additional services from the city of Jasper, but are expected to pay city taxes.
Weaver said he does not want to negotiate with Ray or Marger, but "can't wait" for a chance to discuss the airport, the services and deannexation with Commissioner Rob Jones - as long as it's in public. He said there will be a time during the deannexation hearings, but he would like the opportunity to discuss it Mayor to Commissioner on live radio or in front of the press.
"I believe it will be very revealing about whether this deannexation is something good for the future of Jasper and Pickens County or just for a very small special interest group," he said.
A deannexation is handled exactly the same an annexation request. First it will be posted with signs and advertisements. Then it will go before the city's planning and zoning board. That body will make a recommendation to the city council for a final decision.