Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Visits Schuylkill County To Discuss Airport Needs

Aug. 29—MOUNT PLEASANT — Mike Carroll, state secretary of transportation, got a personal look at Schuylkill County's transportation and infrastructure needs during a visit on Tuesday.

Carroll's time in the county included a luncheon hosted by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce at the Schuylkill County Joe Zerbey Airport — a move meant to "showcase one of the assets that Schuylkill County has," said Samantha Chivinski, the chamber's executive vice president.

Earlier in the day, Carroll, who was confirmed as secretary in May, met with the Schuylkill County Airport Authority to discuss the wants and needs of the airport, which is on 1,600 acres in Foster Twp. near Route 901 and Interstate 81.

Some of those wants and needs include an upgrade to the main ramp where the aircraft are parked, an update to the main runway and construction of another potentially larger hangar, said Martin J. Cerullo, airport authority solicitor.

"There's always projects on the list and underway," Cerullo said. "So it's helpful to have the secretary come in and see the airport and see what its needs are."

Authority Chair Noble "Bud" Quandel Jr. said that he hopes Carroll learned what a vital asset the airport is to the county.

Quandel referenced Solar Innovations, which operates in the Pine Grove Industrial Park and is owned by Fortune Brands Home & Security, a Fortune 500 company.

"They flew in here, eight, nine times on one of their corporate aircraft," Quandel said of Solar Innovations, which is among the top industrial/manufacturing employers in the county, according to SEDCO. "... Had we not had that airport, that probably wouldn't have happened."

Cerullo echoed those thoughts, saying that every facility in the Highridge Business Park, along both sides of the interstate near the airport, utilizes it, providing several thousand jobs, many of which are held by county residents.

In May, at the request of two county commissioners, Quandel made a case for an additional $146,432 in county funding for operating expenses at the airport. Over the past several years, the commissioners have forgiven portions of the loans that the county issued to the airport, and allocated additional funds.

Quandel told the commissioners that the goal was to "achieve financial self-sufficiency" for the airport.

At Tuesday's luncheon, Robert S. Carl Jr., chamber president and CEO, said he hopes that residents understand the importance of bringing officials into the county is to provide firsthand experience of local needs, including those that concern residents, and "to make sure that they know what the needs and wants are in Schuylkill County, how we make our infrastructure better in this case, and how we improve the quality of life, both for the business community, the nonprofit community and our citizens."

Other topics discussed during the meeting included the estimated $100 million Route 61 Frackville Grade project, which PennDOT is on track to bid this fall, with construction to start next year; and the 2023-24 state budget, which provides an influx of $125 million for PennDOT to perform vehicle upgrades, road maintenance and projects.

Noting that "everybody in this room is a user of these roads," Carroll said that "counties like Schuylkill will notice a difference, a positive difference."

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