Ladies and gentlemen,
Our apologies for the delay in getting out an update. In truth, the OVERWHELMING number of people that have been reaching out to show their support, to share their stories of WHY they are supporting the petition, and/or to reach out the City Council President, the Mayor, and the Airport Manager... it has just been a LOT to process. A LOT. (You are DEFINITELY going to want to read this update... ALL THE WAY THROUGH...)
UPDATE
Many of you have sent notes directly to the city expressing your concerns! THANK YOU!
It means far, FAR more when you speak directly and for yourself.
Many of you have reached out and expressed your concerns about speaking out or sharing your story with those that can make the difference, FREQUENTLY citing your fears of retaliation and retribution by the leadership of Flight Services of Medina (the FBO at the root of the petition).
DO NOT BE AFRAID!
Over 360 people have signed this petition!
SCORES have sent notes to the mayor, the city council president and the airport manager of record.
At this point, the CAT is FAR out of the bag.
TELL YOUR TRUTH! We MUST speak "Truth to Power"!
This is the ONLY WAY anything will ever change and the future of the Medina Municipal Airport can be secured!
Take your "Reason for Signing" and send it as an email to the following folks! Make it PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD! So many have already, retaliation now would be a horrifically costly mistake on behalf of the FSM leadership team!
SPEAK OUT:
EMAIL THE FOLLOWING! (Copy me if you like - Andy@thinwire.net!)
Dennis Hanwell
Mayor of Medina
dhanwell@medinaoh.org
John Coyne
City Council President
jcoyne@medinaoh.org
Sherry Crow
Administrative Office Manager
scrow@medinaoh.org
Greg Huber
FAA Airport Manager of Record
City of Medina Prosecutor
ghuber@medinaoh.org
THE $1 LEASE: THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN
The amount of information shared by many of you has simply been profound. More than one of you took it upon yourselves to secure copies of the lease agreements between the City of Medina and Olson Enterprises (DBA Flight Services of Medina)... We will be posting these copies for EVERYONE to see in the coming days... but, we will give you one SIMPLE example to get you started...
The original lease dates back from the early 90s... that allowed for Olson Enterprises assume management of the airport. That lease was replaced with a NEW lease in 2001...
The NEW LEASE is for 35 YEARS... there are 13 years left on the lease...
So... if you want things to "stay the same"... they will until 2035.
When you combine the earlier lease and the current lease, it is going to allow a SINGLE organization (a single person actually) to control every aspect of that community asset for nearly a HALF OF A CENTURY!
To add insult to that injury, the NEW LEASE requires the outlandish lease payment of $1 a year!!!! FOR 35 years... To lease the ENTIRE airport and all of its facilities.
ONE DOLLAR.
283 Acres... of PRIME real estate... with easy access to multiple interstate highways... for $1 a year.
I don't know how one secures such a deal... but SIGN ME UP!
FOX NEWS, AOPA and the FAA
We have received several requests for us to make introductions to Fox News, AOPA and the FAA. If you are interested in sharing your story directly with any or all of those organizations, please let me know. You can email at andy@thinwire.net. We will work to coordinate the introductions.
Fox News appears to be working up a story that will likely be going live this week. They have already spoke with the FAA and others but are specifically looking for more petition signers.
AOPA has growing interest in the ongoing situation at Medina. It would appear the organization has been tracking matters at the airport for a while. They too are looking for petition signers to speak with.
Representatives of the FAA have expressed the likely need to talk with petition signers, especially those that are aware of matters that impact the ability to conduct safe operations at the airport.
If you would like to be included in any of those conversations, please let us know. We will make the introductions.
CALL FOR PUBLIC FORUM
At the request of MANY of you, the petition signers, we have suggested to the Mayor and the Airport Manager, Dennis Hanwell and Greg Huber, respectively to hold a public forum and invite ALL of the tenants of the Medina Municipal Airport, all of the employees of FSM, the local and regional media, AOPA and the FAA... and let there be an open debate about the needs of the airport, the current lease (and how well it does or doesn't serve the needs of ALL parties), the current and historical airport security concerns, and all manner of other airport related matters.
To date, Mr. Hanwell and Mr. Huber have declined to host such open meetings.
Why?
It is a public airport. What is being hidden? What are we afraid will be learned?
Ladies and gentlemen - REACH OUT and politely request a scheduled and advertised and OPEN public forum to occur in mid-to-late June!
Sunlight is the best disinfectant! Why wouldn't we want to shine the light on these matters?
CALL FOR NEW MANAGEMENT
Those that have signed the petition are clearly demanding that the city take action and remove Flight Services of Medina as the stewards of the airport and select a new organization to assume those duties.
Even those that have worked and do currently work with the FSM leadership support such a change! But, the do ask a fair question... if FSM is "removed"... who would step in? Who would fill that void?
A VERY important question... and one that the city should weigh heavily (and swiftly). In full disclosure, Modern Avionics and Maintenance, Inc., an organization that I am a partner in, did indeed have interest at one time. But NO MORE.
There may be some of you that have interest in taken on that responsibility. The time would be now to submit your interest directly to the Mayor, the City Council President and the Airport Manager (Huber). If they are as good of representatives of the community as they appear to be, they will most certainly be seeking alternatives. PUT YOUR HAT IN THE RING!
WRAP UP
There is a LOT more going on in the background that will be shared over the coming days. At the time of this posting, the news crew is ON SITE at 1G5 and that will help spread the word.
No doubt, this will continue to grow! Please keep up the sharing on social, the letters those with the power to make the change, and volunteer to speak to the news, AOPA and/or the FAA.
And... most importantly - CONTINUE TO BELIEVE and PRESS FORWARD! This is how every great and small thing has ever changed in history! When a group of like-minded people come together and demanded a change!
ONE LAST ASK - Send a note to those same city officials listed above... ask them WHY they would delay (pocket veto) holding a public forum on these matters?
TOGETHER - WE CAN SAVE THE MEDINA AIRPORT!
Yours in the Fight!