PROVO — Provo officials are launching a full-scale effort to find money for an air-control tower at the Provo Municipal Airport.

Monte Yeager, executive coordinator of the Utah Air Travel Commission, and Patrick Morley, director of aeronautical operations for the Utah Department of Transportation, are expected next week to ask the air travel commission to support lobby efforts for federal funding.

Yeager says a federal funding source for the $1 million to $2 million tower has been identified — but did not know how soon the money could be available or what agency would provide it.

In addition to funding the tower's construction, money must be allocated to pay for a staff to run the tower.

In some cases, the Federal Aviation Administration pays for the operation of small airport towers, In other cases, it is left to the local government.

Mike Mower, spokesman for Provo Mayor Lewis K. Billings, said city officials believe the majority of funding should come from the federal government. He said Billings continues to lobby hard for the money.

"It's at the top of our federal legislative agenda," he said. "We are making a real effort to secure the funding."

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Some residents of southwest Provo oppose the construction of the tower because they believe it will lead to an expansion of the airport.

Flight patterns at the airport were recently redirected to appease residents who had complained about noise.

Instead of flying over homes when landing, pilots now fly over Utah Lake. Some have complained that this is also unsafe.


E-mail: jhyde@desnews.com

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