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PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Commission has approved giving $25,000 to the Wood County Airport Authority for the purpose of hiring a consultant/grant writer they hope will be able to bring in money to improve water capacity which could spur development at the airport.

The commission unanimously approved the amount from the county’s Rainy Day Fund.

Airport officials believe this person will be able to tap federal money that will be available once the federal shutdown has concluded.

Wood County Development Executive Director Lindsey Piersol and Andy Daniel of the Wood County Airport Authority appeared before the commission Thursday to present their plans in writing.

Over the summer, airport officials went to the Paris Air Show and talked to a number of companies about the possibility of setting up aviation-related businesses at the airport which would create jobs and tax revenue locally.

In order to have these businesses seriously consider the airport, officials would have to improve water capacity to the site to adequately provide “fire water” to the fire suppression systems.

Currently, the airport can only allow 12,000-square-foot hangars to be built. Many of the companies interested in the airport are looking to build 50,000-square-foot hangars.

Officials said there is no main waterline available to have a sprinkler system to be hooked up in a newly constructed building. Airport officials are looking at ideas that might solve the issue, including hooking into an existing water tower near the 10-28 runway or building a new water tower at the airport that would have the capacity and pressure to meet those requirements so the larger hangar buildings can be built.

The necessary upgrades for water and sewer to the south ramp area of the airport is estimated around $4 million for the first stage of the utilities upgrade.

They have applied for federal earmarks several times and were turned down, airport officials said. Officials feel the grant writer they are looking at has the knowledge of federal grants that can increase the probability of securing that money once it is available again following the shutdown.

Commissioner Robert Tebay said they are looking at the potential for future development.

“This is for industrial development,” he said. “We are looking to the future.”

Daniel said they are not asking for all the money they need for this project just enough to hire someone who they think can get them grants to fund it. They are looking at state and federal grants.

“If we can get the federal, the state will usually back it up,” he said.

Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said he wants to work out something during the budget process where they have caps on the amount of money taken out of the county’s Rainy Day Fund.

“I hate taking money out of our Rainy Day Fund and just giving it away,” he said. “Somehow, something major is going to happen and we will be caught with our pants down and that is not good.”

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com