Spalding asked to front $1.1 million to speed Griffin–Spalding airport land purchases; GDOT to reimburse 95%

Madison Teague of Croix Engineering updated the Spalding County Board of Commissioners on land-acquisition progress for the regional Griffin–Spalding Airport at the Oct. 6 workshop and asked the county to participate in short-term fronting of acquisition funds for property owner closings.

Teague said five properties have settled and the airport authority is acquiring about 102 acres. She said negotiations produced settlement agreements for several parcels and that the airport authority needs the city and county to advance funds for closings while the authority collects reimbursement from the Georgia Department of Transportation.

“Two million two hundred thousand is what is being asked of the City of Griffin and Spalding County,” Teague said; she added the City of Griffin agreed to pay half. Teague said GDOT will reimburse roughly 95% of the acquisition costs once deeds are recorded and documentation is submitted and that reimbursement timing is expected to take about 60–90 days because of holidays and processing.

Board members asked how much the county would ultimately not recover. Teague and other staff explained the county’s share to front this tranche would be about $1,100,000; at a 95% reimbursement rate the county would expect to bear about 5% of that tranche in unreimbursed costs — roughly $55,000 — and the airport authority intends to return reimbursed funds to the county after processing. Commissioners were told a similar second tranche of acquisitions is expected in roughly 90 days and will require another fronting of funds.