Gary airport authority board updates minimum standards, hears comments on House bill
At its monthly meeting Wednesday, the Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority board updated its minimum standards for businesses.
Members also heard multiple comments about an Indiana House bill targeting the makeup of the board.
The airport's minimum standards are requirements that must be met by businesses to provide services at the facility, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
'We advertised changes in the way that feeds are collected for landing and parking at the airport, and standardize how it's done, no matter where you are on the airfield,' Executive Director Dan Vicari said, adding that airport staff recommend for standard changes to be accepted.
Five members were present at the board meeting, with all approving the new standards. Changes include the definition of a based tenant, how fees will be assessed and how monthly fees are calculated.
Based tenants now include those who park their aircraft in an area leased by the authority to approved fixed-based operators that the Federal Aviation Administration considers 'validated inventory,' according to information from GCIA.
Aircraft that arrive at the airport will also now be assessed a landing fee, and if there for more than four hours, will receive a parking fee. Based tenants will not be assessed parking fees. GCIA will collect landing and parking fees.
Original minimum standards had operators pay a monthly fee by the 10th day of each month, but the new standards removed the deadline for monthly fees.
Airport board member Philip Mullins said the new standards keep GCIA competitive.
Multiple Gary residents also expressed concerns with House Bill 1001, which includes language that shifts appointments on the GCIA authority board, according to Post-Tribune archives. If passed, two appointments would be shifted from the Gary mayor to mayors of Crown Point and Hammond.
Four board members are currently appointed by the Gary mayor and governor, and Lake and Porter counties both appoint one person each.
Residents are concerned that Gary will lose representation and don't believe it's fair for the city. Bruce Curry said during public comment that if appointees will be taken from the mayor, two new board positions should be added.
'To take away is unacceptable in my eyes,' Curry told board members. 'What we're starting to see is that everybody wants to take things once they start going in the right direction.'
Curry believes circumstances are improving for Gary, including lower crime rates, so he doesn't understand why state officials would take away from the city.
Curry asked board members to tell state officials that the changes are unacceptable.
'If they want to add a couple and give us more funding in the budget, that's fine,' he said. 'But to take away is unacceptable.'
Robert Buggs also said he's concerned about House Bill 1001, and he said he's concerned appointees will be taken away when the airport is in a TIF district.
'This will be a financial hub,' Buggs told the board. 'We don't need anybody to come in and change the configuration of the board.'
Vicari was unable to comment about the bill following the board meeting. GCIA spokesman could not immediately respond to request for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Lake County council appoints NWI Oilmen president to sports commission
Don Popravak, president of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen baseball club, said the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission will work across the region to create a 'cohesive professional sports development area here.' 'It will help drive tourism. It will help drive economic development for cities and towns across those counties,' Popravak said. 'There is unlimited potential here.' The Lake County Council appointed Popravak to the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission Tuesday as proxy for council president Christine Cid, D-East Chicago. House Bill 1292, authored by Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, would establish a Northwest Indiana professional development commission and a professional sports development fund. The commission would be tasked with exploring and implementing strategies to attract one or more sports franchises to Northwest Indiana, Harris said. The bill outlines the 17-member commission, which include mayors from East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Michigan City, LaPorte, Portage and South Bend, while the remaining members would be appointed by various people, including the executive director of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, and Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph county leaders. Under the bill, the commission would explore attracting professional football, baseball, basketball, hockey or soccer teams. But, since the Chicago Bears have been looking for a new home, Harris said when he proposed the bill in the 2024 session it got attention then as a possible new location for the team. The Chicago Bears purchased the former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights in February 2023 and hopes to build a new enclosed stadium with a big entertainment and residential development. In December, the Bears and Arlington Heights reached an agreement to set taxes at $3.6 million per year. Earlier this month, the Chicago Tribune reported that team officials have shifted their focus for a new stadium away from the city's lakefront back to Arlington Heights. But, Harris said his bill allows Northwest Indiana to be considered as the Bears consider a new home. Northwest Indiana is in the Chicago market, he said, so the fan base for the Bears – or any Chicago team – is there, he said. 'This makes it more attractive for them to come to Northwest Indiana. It provides another option,' Harris said. 'I think there is an opportunity for them if they can't work things out in Illinois.' Lake County Councilman Charlie Brown, D-Gary, asked Popravak if he can assure the council that the commission will secure a shot at moving the Chicago Bears to Northwest Indiana. Popravak said that about $3 billion would help secure the Chicago Bears. Given that the Chicago Bears are debating stadiums in Chicago and Arlington Heights, that would be a difficult assurance to ask for, he said. 'I can't guarantee things like that. Those are a little bit out of my reach,' Popravak said. 'Those are big stakes.' Cid asked Popravak to keep the council updated on the progress the commission makes. Popravak said he would, and that the commission has a meeting planned in July. Since he was elected, Harris has touted Northwest Indiana's resources like the lakefront, the Gary/Chicago International Airport, the South Shore railroad, casinos and the planned Lake County Convention Center. A stadium for a sports franchise is the next step, he said. Nearly 30 years ago, Harris said his late father proposed legislation to bring a sports stadium to Northwest Indiana, also aiming to draw the Chicago Bears to the region. 'To be able to pick up the ball, as his son, I'm very proud and happy about that, and I'm sure he would be also,' Harris said. 'I'm glad to see this bill has made the movement that it has and it will make it through the process, and excited about what it will mean in terms of professional sports, economics and jobs in Northwest Indiana.'
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Our daughter's lawyer accidentally sold her plot of land for free'
Do you have a legal question to put to Gary? Email askalawyer@ or use the form at the bottom of the page. Hello Gary, I am writing on behalf of my daughter and son-in-law, who are having a legal nightmare. They were on track to sell their home, but the sale fell through. This sale included an extra plot of land, adjacent to the property, about the size of a tennis court, and possibly big enough to build a small house. The second buyer could not afford to buy this plot as well as the house, and a lower sale price was agreed for the house and garden alone, excluding the extra land. After completion, my daughter sent an auctioneer to value this land for future sale, but was told by the new owner of the house that he was now the owner of this plot of land and has the Land Registry documents to prove it. It appears my daughter's solicitor sent the wrong transfer deed to the buyer's solicitor, which incorrectly included the additional plot of land. My daughter's solicitor works for a large law firm that has about 20 offices in the UK and has admitted that he was in the wrong. The new owner of the house was sent a firm, but polite, legal letter asking for rectification of the error, mentioning, among other things, unjust enrichment. He has refused to do anything, stating that since he has in his possession the Land Registry documents, he is now the legal owner, even though he knew at the outset that the land was not included in the sale. My daughter's solicitor has passed the problem on to their firm's 'compliance team', but I don't think they are treating the problem with as much importance as they should, particularly as I think they have been negligent. – Ross, by email Dear Ross This is a very sorry tale which reflects badly on the firm your daughter and her husband trusted and paid to carry out important legal work. I agree it is professional negligence, and it is shocking to me that the law firm concerned is not moving heaven and earth to sort it out. It sounds like the buyer is a chancer and is behaving badly. There may be a legal argument for rectification, especially if the contract for sale correctly described the extent of the property to be sold, and it was only the transfer deed that was wrong. Or even if both the contract and transfer deed were erroneous, there may be other evidence, such as the memorandum of sale from the estate agents and other correspondence, which serve as evidence that everyone involved was aware the sale was intended to exclude the additional plot. However, these are issues for the negligent solicitors to resolve as best they can in order to mitigate their liability and the potential value of the claim coming down the line to them from your daughter and her husband. Your daughter should get the auctioneer to value the land, which should have been retained, so the potential claim can be quantified. The question to ask the auctioneer is: 'What would you expect this plot to achieve both as it is and with the benefit of planning permission for a house?' I suggest this because going to the solicitors armed with evidence as to the potential value of the claim against them should focus the mind of the compliance officer. Your daughter should also ask for the legal fees that have been paid to be refunded on the basis that the work was not to the standard expected. A sensible compliance officer would then escalate the complaint to being a top priority and indeed try to resolve it in whatever way is possible in the circumstances. Your daughter and son-in-law may apply additional pressure on the solicitors by giving them a reasonable time frame of say one month to get agreement from the buyer that he will transfer the land back. Also, say if they do not achieve that, they will be bringing a negligence claim, and in that case, they expect the solicitor's professional indemnity insurers to be informed. Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and one of the many requirements of regulation is for a law firm to have an insurance policy in place to be available to protect and compensate clients when there is negligence on the part of the law firm. If your daughter and her husband have 'legal expenses cover' with their home insurance, they may be able to get independent legal advice at no cost to them regarding the potential negligence claim. But if not, this seems like such a clear case (and indeed the solicitor involved has already admitted liability) that obtaining independent legal advice and ultimately having the cost of that advice paid for by the negligent law firm should not be a problem. All of this should be pointed out to the compliance officer as soon as possible. If the negligent law firm is not sensible enough to immediately seek to resolve this issue without further delay, your daughter can also say she will be asking the Legal Ombudsman to investigate, which is an organisation with a remit to resolve disputes between the providers of legal services and their clients. The Ombudsman can look at issues such as how a complaint has been handled and how the actions of the law firm have impacted the client beyond just financial loss. I hope all this helps and that this distressing situation is soon resolved, either by the land being restored or appropriate compensation being paid out to your daughter and her husband. Ask a Lawyer should not be taken as formal legal advice, but rather as a starting point for readers to undertake their own further research. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Federal immigration raid at Omaha food production plant sparks protests
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Immigration authorities raided at least one Omaha food production plant Tuesday morning, inspiring some small protests, but details about how many workers were affected weren't immediately clear. Omaha police and the Douglas County sheriff said immigration officials had warned them about their plans, and their departments helped block off traffic around the neighborhood where many food production plants are located while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers worked. ICE officials didn't immediately respond to questions. Meatpacking plants rely heavily on immigrant workers who are willing to do the physically demanding work. The industry has not yet been the focus of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement efforts, but the administration has been intensifying its efforts in recent weeks. Trump called out the National Guard this week to respond to ongoing protests in Los Angeles over his immigration policies. In Omaha, a small group of people came out to protest the raids, and some of them even jumped on the front bumper of a vehicle to try to stop officers. Glenn Valley Foods officials didn't immediately respond to an inquiry from The Associated Press, but WOWT reported that CEO and owner Gary Rohwer said he wasn't made aware of the operation ahead of time and that there was no warrant. 'Of course not. It's a raid,' said Rohwer, whose company makes the Gary's QuickSteak brand of ready-to-grill steak. Federal agents entered the plant around 9 a.m. Tuesday with a list of 97 people they wanted to screen, Rohwer said. He said the company regularly checks the immigration status of employees with the federal E-Verify database. The raids prompted one Douglas County Commissioner to walk out in the middle of a meeting Tuesday to head down to the area he represents in southeast Omaha where the plants are located. Commissioner Roger Garcia and City Councilman Ron Hug both expressed concern about the impact of the raids on families. 'These actions are deeply harmful to the South Omaha community,' Hug said in a statement. 'Not only are they unjust and disruptive, but they also directly undermine the economic stability and growth of District 4 and the broader community.' Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson said his agency is 'not privy to the exact nature of the ICE operation' but that his agency is there to assist with assuring 'peace and safety' of everyone in the area. Asked when he learned of the operation, he said his department received 'respectful and ample notification.' He says he got the notification about a week ago. Margery A. Beck And Josh Funk, The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
