If You Can't Play Nice, You Won't Play At All!

The Brevard County Commission has spoken. Following decades of rancorous conduct -- and next to nothing in the way of actual progress -- the Valkaria Airport Advisory Board was disbanded Thursday, by a 3-2 commission vote.

Florida Today reports the breakup vote was preceded by numerous speakers who decried the board's conduct, saying its often obvious bias against Valkaria Airport (X59) served as an obstacle to progress on the field's 20-year master plan, and stalled needed improvements at the facility.

"For this board to allow this to continue would be an injustice," said commissioner Jackie Colon, noting VAAB members often launched personal attacks on county employees during Board meetings. "It stops here. It stops right now. And we need to put an end to it today."

Colon's sentiments were echoed by fellow commissioners Mary Bolin and Helen Voltz. Joe Griffin, director of the Sebastian Municipal Airport (X26), termed the board "the repository for the antagonists of the airport."

One of the board's own members was also in favor of shutting down the VAAB. Frank Gallagher said the advisory board has "a 20-year history of failure."

It's hard to disagree. As ANN reported, earlier this year Brevard Commissioner Chuck Nelson provoked an uproar in electing vocal airport opponent Janis Walters to the VAAB... despite her apparent opposition to the airport's very existence.

"Hiring an arsonist as fire chief would surprise me less," said Palm Bay, FL city councilman -- and former Valkaria Airport board chairman -- Milo Zonka at the time of Walters' appointment in February.

Not surprisingly, Nelson was one of the few voting to keep the advisory board going... saying while the VAAB was often contentious, it also served as a watchdog to unchecked growth at the airport. Grant-Valkaria Mayor Del Yonts was also in favor of keeping the VAAB alive, though he conceded the board could have conducted itself more professionally.

Ten-year VAAB member Russell Minton said a proposal to repave runways at X59, to stop chunks of loose concrete from flying into propellers -- was opposed by the board as it was perceived to be a pro-growth measure.

"It is especially counterproductive for a board to have members who object to the mission of the airport -- to fly aircraft," replied Jill Liles, secretary of the Melbourne Area Pilots Association.

Commissioners Colon, Bolin and Voltz are in favor of having officials in Grant-Valkaria and Malabar should coordinate relations directly between the airport and its surrounding communities, instead of having an intermediary.

It's not clear how that plan would prove to be any more workable than the VAAB was, though. Residents and officials have bickered about the airport for years... and will no doubt continue to do so.

FMI: www.brevardcounty.us/valkaria_airport/