Bob Nemeth

I just finished reading a story by Robert Z Nemeth in the paper today regarding ORH. I can not find story on-line, sorry. Right now I do not know what to say, except that I am stunned. I actually agree with pretty much everything he says,since he pretty much echoes much that has been said for two years on this blog. Here are the highlights:

1. Surveys and consultants will not save ORH.
2. The initital IMG report that cost $100,000 (actually 99,750) came from the city. Since then 110,350 (54,640 31,850 and 24,860) has been spent from the DOT Grant on IMG to attract a commercial carrier. Now there is another amendment to pay IMG $70,000 more.
3. Past Airport Commissioner and current Airport Board Member Robert Z Nemeth finds it "hard to sort out how the DOT money or the funds allocated for the consultants, is being spent."
4. Past Airport Commissioner and current Airport Board Member Robert Z Nemeth realizes "1) few of the findings and recommendations offered by a string of reports over the years are new or surprising and 2) none of the outlined goals and needs for the future of could be met without MassPort's help.
5. Mr Nemeth also points out that the current RFP that had a deadline this past Wednesday received no reponse???
   
6. "ORH future pretty much depends on the outcome of the city's negotiations with MassPort and the extent and conditions of the authority's involvement.

We here have been saying for two years that more surveys and consultants, while reading Editorial after Editorial in the Telegram that all of these plans and surveys are putting us on the right track, was a waste of money. Have you ever heard anyone criticize the Master Plan before? in fact at the last community meeting in December only compliments were given. In addition were not these surveys and consultants/studies authorized by the Airport Commission board, that Mr Nemeth chaired and now serves upon, as he says, for the past 15 years?

What really kills me is that Mr Nemeth is not sure exactly how the $442,615 DOT grant has been spent? Maybe Mr Nemeth should file a request for a summary/break-down of how the monies have been spent to date for the next Airport Board Meeting. Not naming a Blue Ribbon Committee to disperse the DOT monies was a huge mistake.

Mr Nemeth then proceeds to tell MassPort again that our future rests in their hands during negotiations. Next time you are trying to sell your house to a prospective buyer tell them that your future financial well-being depends on their offer and that they are the only buyer. Do you think that they will low ball you?? Bottom line is that ORH is gone to MassPort either via a long-term lease or sale and Mr Nemeth now wants to distance himself from all the mistakes that he has been involved with at ORH. Not going to happen here.

There have been two huge mistakes the past two years. First, we never should have lost Allegiant and if need be the whole $452,000 DOT grant should have been spent on them. Don't forget they helped us keep primary airport status last year which meant $1,000,000 from the FAA. Losing them killed any chances of getting another commercial airlines and now we are in danger of not achieving 10,000 passengers this year or losing $1,000,000. Second, not negotiating with any other potential airport management or private company even though we only had a three year extension of the operating agreement. The day the current agreement was signed (July1st, 2004) is the day we should have started this search. Now we have less then 6 months and we only have one buyer (MassPort).