BUENA PARK : City Studies Hiring Airport Consultant

The city may hire an airport consultant to help determine if Fullerton Municipal Airport poses a threat to Buena Park residents, according to Mayor Donald L. Bone.

“As a council we have talked about this and have directed staff to begin investigating what it would require to hire a consultant,” Bone said.

The action follows the city’s unsuccessful attempts to get the Federal Aviation Administration to compare the safety record of Fullerton airport to airports with similar characteristics.

Following a plane crash in September, the council sent a letter to the FAA, asking that the agency conduct a safety analysis based on factors including the number of accidents, the amount of damage and the number and type of injuries.

However, in recent correspondence, FAA officials informed the city that they have no ability to conduct such an analysis.

“We want to find out what it would cost, the time line, et cetera,” Bone said.

Bone said that city staffers will begin compiling information and that then the council will determine if the private consultant should be hired.

One factor in the decision will be cost. Due to increased cost of services and labor contracts, the city is already facing a budget deficit of more than $1 million. In recent months the council has raised taxes in an attempt to offset the deficit.

Getting the budget out of the red will take priority over other projects, Bone said.