By Carol Anders Staff Writer
PLYMOUTH — The Plymouth Aviation board elected new officers at its regular meeting on July 8.
Due to the resignation of Bill Satorius, who had been elected president at the last meeting, the board began the meeting by unanimously electing Tom Flynn as president.
Since Flynn had held the position of vice-president, the board then needed to fill that position. Steve Hupka was elected vice-president. All four members of the board are newly appointed.

The board heard from several different sources at the meeting as they attempt to determine present and future airport direction.
John Julian of Umbaugh & Associates was asked to speak on the pros and cons of creating an airport authority. Presently the airport is governed by the Aviation Commission.
Julian said both a commission and an airport authority would operate under a four person board. He said, “They would have very similar powers.”
He said the Aviation Commission functions as a department of the city. According to Julian, the Aviation Commission now receives about $80,000 per year from the city. He said an airport authority would operate as an independent entity. He said, “The most significant differences have to do with funding."
According to Julian, an airport authority would have its own maximum tax levy and would create a new tax.
Julian explained that the new ruling in the state of Indiana on taxes, commonly known as the circuit breaker, could mean that some taxpayers would already be at a maximum property tax levy amount.
Flynn said that both the airports in Rochester and in Logansport operate under an airport authority. Flynn said, “They couldn’t be happier that they did it.”
 Flynn said, “My whole reason for bringing this up is to have county input.”
The discussion on the matter ended with no action being taken.
The board also heard a presentation from Chris Snyder of Woolpert, Inc. Woolpert serves as the consultant to the Aviation Commission. They have been working on the various aspects of the possible expansion of the present airport.
The current city administration has advocated more puiblic input and options concerning airport issues.
He then briefly reviewed the history of the airport, field studies that have already been performed and the documented critical air-traffic studies that have been done.
He said, “What info is needed now is to identify the needs of the critical users by the group.”
Snyder said guidance from local leaders to identify airport use is needed.
He suggested creating a public advisory committee and holding public meetings to gather information.
He said that the FAA would be looking for habitat, economic and social impacts.
Snyder told the board that they could do nothing, start all over with a master plan or revise the environmental assessments or update the airport layout plan. Woolpert has offered a number of variations on layout during the last several years.
Woolpert said he was not able to find an existing master plan.
The board took no further action.