By Betsy Finklea
Work is scheduled to begin this week at the Dillon County Airport.
At the Dillon County Council meeting last Wednesday, Jamey Kempson, who is charge of airport maintenance at the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission, came to update council.
He said that he and County Administrator Clay Young had been working on getting improvements at the airport for a couple of years. Kempson said that Young and Winna Miller had been very proactive.
There had been discussion about a sealing project for the airport runway for about two years. This Thursday and Friday, a rejuvenator sealer is being applied to the runway and after testing, it will be re-marked. The cost is $39,600; however, Dillon County is only responsible for 25 percent of the cost or $9,900.
Tree clearing will also begin this week. They have a company under contract to do this. The cost for everything on county property is estimated at $65,000. Dillon County would be responsible for $16,250. The cost is an estimate because the price could vary depending on how heavy the vegetation is.
Kempson said that off area trees are going to have to be addressed as well.
Kempson said the county had some federal money, and there were plans for development for the airport. He said possibilities include constructing a hangar or possibly a terminal building with a lounge type area or they may wish to consider putting in self-service fuel.
Kempson said lighting repairs and upgrades are also needed. He presented four options to council. Option 1 was a “bare bones” approach that would include a new airfield lighting vault; replacing the existing threshold, runway and taxiway lights with used lights from the S.C. Aeronautics Commission stock; replacing the existing beacon; installing a safety climbing device and body harness for the existing beacon tower; and connecting the existing underground wiring for the airfield to the new lighting vault. Option 2 would add replacing the isolation transformers at each light. 
Kempson said Options 3 or 4 would be best. Option 3 would include installing all new  underground wiring for the airfield lighting system, and Option 4 would include the new airfield lighting vault, replacing the existing lights with new lights including the isolation transformer and mounting stake, and replacing the existing beacon. The cost for Option 4 is $77,142, and Dillon County’s cost would be either  25 or 40 percent.
Miller said that there were no runway lights and the beacon was not working at the present time.
Young said they had been putting money in the budget this year and last year in anticipation of improvements. He and Miller recommended Option 4. They will pursue Option 4 at this time.