Greeneville, Tennessee, September 14, 2025
News Summary
The Greeneville City Council will consider a $33,342 local match request to help fund a roughly $1.3 million box hangar at the municipal airport. Grant funding will cover most costs, but some dollars are set to expire and the construction bid must be awarded before the bid deadline, creating urgency. If approved, construction would begin this fall with completion expected in spring. The council agenda also includes potential changes to the town’s property tax relief match, a library sewer change order, and a special event permit. Recent airport updates include rate increases, facility upgrades and wildlife deterrent measures.
Greeneville City Council to consider $33,342 match for $1.3M airport hangar; airport authority raises rates and reports recent improvements
The Greeneville City Council will meet Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the G. Thomas Love Boardroom at 110 N. College St. to consider a request for $33,342 in local funds to match four grants that together fund most of a new airport hangar costing about $1.3 million. Council action is needed quickly because some grant dollars are set to expire and the construction bid must be awarded before Sept. 23, 2025.
What the council will consider first
The matching funds would amount to roughly a 5% local match for the hangar project. Airport officials say using the saved grant money will prevent the loss of about $150,000 that is due to expire soon. If approved, construction is slated to begin this fall with project close-out planned in the spring.
Other council business on the agenda
Also on the agenda is a proposal to raise the town’s local match to the State of Tennessee Property Tax Relief program from the current 50% to 100%. The program had 235 participants in the prior tax year. State relief for elderly applicants fell from $136 in 2024 to $107 for 2025. Under the current 50% town match, total relief per qualified taxpayer would drop from $204 to $161 in 2025. Increasing the town match to 100% would bring total relief to about $214 and cost the town an additional $9,165 for the year. Greene County plans to match relief amounts at 100% again this tax year.
The council will also weigh a change order of $18,217 for a sewer repair project at the Greeneville-Greene County Library and a special event permit for a Greene County remembrance event planned for 6 p.m., Sept. 29 on a section of Main Street.
Airport board actions and rate changes
At a recent airport authority meeting, board members unanimously approved a 15% increase to monthly T-hangar lease rates and similar increases to office lease rates. The three hangar rate tiers moved from $155, $175, and $225 per month to $180, $200, and $260 per month. Office rates rose from $60, $115, and $150 to $70, $135, and $175 per month. The rate hikes are estimated to add a little over $26,000 in annual revenue to the airport.
The board also approved a revised lease document intended to ensure hangars are used to store working, airworthy aircraft rather than unrelated storage. The new lease passed on a 4-1 vote. One board member asked for legal confirmation that a cited state code can be applied to hangars the way the board intends, noting the text appeared aimed more at self-storage operations. Airport staff plan to require proof that stored aircraft have been inspected by a certified Federal Aviation Administration mechanic, which is a common annual check.
Wildlife removed; safety steps taken
A mother black bear and cubs that had been living on airport property since late June were removed after Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency staff installed motion sensors tied to loud sirens. The non-lethal deterrent caused the animals to leave, and they had not been seen for several weeks. The bear had been attracted to a small protected wetlands area inside the airport fence and had been observed scaling the 8-foot fence and once crossing a runway, creating a collision risk.
Facility improvements, planned work and events
The airport reported several recent upgrades and upcoming items: a newly created pilot lounge built from two rooms at a cost of about $3,500, three mini-split heating and cooling units added through a roughly $13,000 Federal Aviation Administration grant, and a new roof on the fixed base operator building completed for $29,000 using American Rescue Plan funds. New signage now welcomes pilots, and planned signage near runway ends and apron repaving are on the list. Once those paving projects are finished, all pavement and tarmac at the airport will be less than three years old.
The airport’s Federal Aviation Administration designation moved from local to regional in 2023 due to higher traffic. That change increases five-year grant eligibility from about $155,000 to about $295,000, providing more than $100,000 in additional grant potential over the period ending in 2028.
Other recent and planned items include approval for a small 40-by-10-foot “doghouse” hangar addition for a company plane at no cost to the airport, a brief runway maintenance closure on Sept. 3 from 5 p.m. to midnight, the annual Wings and Wheels event on Sept. 27, and the third annual 5K on the Runway hosted by the Civil Air Patrol on Nov. 12 with preregistration at $25 and race-day registration at $35.
Why this matters
The decisions before council and the airport board affect local tax relief, airport income and capacity, pilot services, and public safety. The hangar project promises new revenue for the airport while relying mostly on grant funds, and the lease changes aim to preserve limited hangar space for operational aircraft. Rate increases and facility upgrades are intended to keep the airport financially sustainable while improving service for pilots and visitors.
FAQ
What is the City Council voting on regarding the airport?
The council will consider providing $33,342 to match grants funding a roughly $1.3 million hangar project. The match would be about a 5% local share and is needed before some grant funds expire.
When and where is the council meeting?
The meeting starts at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the G. Thomas Love Boardroom at the Greeneville Energy Authority building, 110 N. College St.
How much did hangar and office rates change?
Hangar rates increased by 15%, moving from $155, $175, $225 to $180, $200, $260. Office rates also increased by about 15% to $70, $135, $175.
Why was a new lease document approved?
The revised lease is meant to make sure hangars are used for airworthy, working aircraft rather than general storage, and to protect limited hangar availability. The lease passed with one board member asking for further legal clarification on the cited state code.
What happened with the bear at the airport?
A mother black bear and her cubs were drawn to a protected wetlands area on airport grounds. Wildlife officials installed motion sensors linked to sirens, and the animals left the property and had not returned for several weeks.
What recent upgrades did the airport complete?
- New pilot lounge for about $3,500.
- Three mini-split units funded by an FAA grant of about $13,000.
- New FBO roof installed for $29,000 using ARP funds.
- New signage and planned apron repaving and runway-end signs.
Key Features at a Glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Council meeting | 4 p.m., Tuesday — G. Thomas Love Boardroom, 110 N. College St. |
| Hangar project cost | About $1.3 million |
| Requested local match | $33,342 (about 5%) |
| Grant risk | Prevent loss of ~$150,000; bid award needed by Sept. 23, 2025 |
| Hangar rates | Old: $155 / $175 / $225 → New: $180 / $200 / $260 per month |
| Office rates | Old: $60 / $115 / $150 → New: $70 / $135 / $175 per month |
| Expected annual revenue | A little over $26,000 from rate hikes |
| Pilot lounge | New lounge completed for ~$3,500; includes recliners, TV, wifi, charging |
| Mini-split units | Three units funded by ~ $13,000 FAA grant |
| FBO roof | New roof installed for $29,000 via ARP funding |
| FAA designation | Changed from local to regional in 2023; increased five-year grant eligibility to ~$295,000 |
| Upcoming events | Runway maintenance Sept. 3 (5 p.m.–midnight); Wings and Wheels Sept. 27; Special event Sept. 29; 5K on the Runway Nov. 12 |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- Greeneville Sun: Greeneville City Council to consider $33,342 match for $1.3 million airport hangar
- Wikipedia: Greeneville, Tennessee
- WGRV: Greeneville City Council to address hangar and sewer projects, tax relief program and upcoming events
- Google Search: Greeneville Municipal Airport hangar
- Greeneville Sun: Airport Authority board approves new hangar lease rates
- Google Scholar: airport hangar lease rates
- Greeneville Sun: Black bear and cubs cleared from Greeneville Airport grounds
- Encyclopedia Britannica: black bear
- Greeneville Sun: Greeneville Airport shows off improvements
- Google News: Greeneville Municipal Airport
Author: Construction CA News
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