The Airport Authority approved emergency repairs for a taxiway at the Greeneville-Greene County Municipal Airport at the commission's Monday meeting on Monday.

The state-approved repairs come with a state grant greater than the usual 90-10 split.

Chairman Janet Malone said the state has come across additional funding allowing the state to cover 95 percent of the repairs.

The authority moved to allow Malone to apply for, accept and direct funds for an emergency, state-approved taxiway repair in the amount of $85,750, which will require $4287.50 of local matching funds.

Authority member Walter Johnson expressed concern about spending money on repairs when the airport is only about a year away from repairs anyway.

However, Malone stressed the pressing need for repair.

According to her, the asphalt is very old, the most recent overlay used the wrong asphalt mix, and drainage issues make the repairs necessary.

"We've got to do something to it or disallow use of the taxiway, and I don't think we can do that," she said.

The authority approved the repairs.

New business included allowing the chairman to apply for, accept and direct funds for the Annual Maintenance Grant from Tennessee Aeronautics in the amount of $19,000.

It is a 50-50 grant to deal with maintenance-related items having to do with the airport.

Malone said that, when local support decreases, outside grant money usually decreases also. However, the airport's funding increased instead.

"Because we have buildings that are past useful shelf-life that require quite a bit of maintenance on them, ... they actually upped ours," she said.

The authority approved the grant money.

Johnson reported on a recent Hanger Committee meeting.

He said the committee discussed possibilities for the future.

He mentioned one strong possibility for a tenant for a box hanger that would be at least 70 ft. by 70 ft. squared.

With the possibility of a couple of other tenants interested, the committee made the recommendation to construct a building that would house two of the box hangers with room between them for office space.

The proposed building would be 70 ft. by 160 ft. in dimensions.

He said there are currently 12 people on the waiting list for a T hanger. The committee would like to build 20 more T hangers and several more shade porches.

"We will have to determine exactly where the airport's property is, and that shouldn't be a problem," Johnson said.

Carol Susong, Greeneville town recorder, was out of town and unable to go over the September financial statement with the authority. Malone directed those with questions to ask Susong when she returns.

The board was slightly confused at first by the financial information, but after a brief moment, Johnson seemed to decipher the numbers that appeared at first glance to show a deficit.

"At the end of September we had $301,000 in the bank, we owed $376,000 and we have got $494,000 coming in grants," Johnson said.

The board went ahead and approved the finances for September.

Reports from Steve Neesen, of Greeneville Aviation, the airport's fixed base operator, said there has been turnover in T hangers, but they are all still full.