Henry County officials are looking for new state and federal funding for its airport, and a plan will be submitted to the appropriate departments within the next two weeks.

  Details on the airport’s five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) were presented to the Henry County Board of Commissioners at its November 5 regular meeting. The top priorities for the 2021 fiscal year include design of the apron and taxiway widening along with electrical rehabilitation. The construction phase of the taxiway widening tops the 2022 priority list.

  Other plans for the future, according to airport manager Lynn Planchon, include design and construction of a new FBO (fixed base of operations) using SPLOST IV funds.

  The CIP, which covers fiscal years 2021-2025, is used to plan for future projects and funding needs for the airport. It also serves as the required document for an airport to be eligible for funds from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as well as the Georgia Department of Transportation.

  The airport’s five-year plan is updated annually and may change as priorities change. Planchon said that if a project is not included in an airport’s CIP, it will not be considered for state or federal funding, but submitting a CIP does not guarantee federal or state funding of listed projects and doesn’t obligate county funds for those projects.

  The county will submit the CIP to the FAA by November 22 to be considered for state and federal funding. If funding is granted, notification will be sent to the county early in the new year.

  In other business, the commissioners recognized the Henry County Police Department for earning its approved state re-certification from the Georgia Association of Police Chiefs to remain an accredited agency. Deputy county manager Brad Johnson presented a plaque from the GAPC to HCPD chief Mark Amerman, noting that the leadership of the chief and his command staff made the certification possible. Amerman then presented a plaque to officer Felicia Henley, the department’s certification manager.

  “This whole process allows me internally to know that the police department is using the state’s best practices, said Amerman. “The person who did all of the leg work, the ground work and went through 140 files and over 250 policies to make sure they were up to standards is Officer Henley.”