Airport runway closing back story

In her time as county administrator, Amanda Brock says the best was attained the moment the Oconee airport director told her that the county had been approved for a $6.9 million federal grant.  The money will be spent to fix the deteriorating paved runway.  It was a great moment in Brock’s estimation because Oconee County had been led to believe that the runway project was FAA grant ineligible for the runway re-hab work.  But Jeff Garrison cautioned Brock to be ready for the downside of the grant approval.  And that’s, the fact that—in the FAA’s timeline for the grant—the work must be started within weeks.  And that’s why, during the busiest and bigmoney making period of the year for the local airport, the runway will be closed starting September 12 for at least 60 days.  That’ll take in some Clemson football home weekends when in-coming pilots buy fuel from the airport.  “We are fine with this,” insists Brock, as she spoke today to a Seneca civic club.  She told the afternoon Rotary meeting:  “We can do this.”  Airport work was one of several county subjects that the 3-year administrator addressed.  Brock’s intricate knowledge of county business appeared to have enthralled the Rotarians who listened intently and responded approvingly to Brock…and issued another invitation to speak to their club—an invitation the administrator was quick to accept.