Sansom steers state money to college for airport building

House Speaker Ray Sansom steered $6 million in taxpayer money to the community college that now employs him to pay for an airport building sought by a Destin developer and Sansom supporter who was having trouble getting his project off the ground.

By funneling the purchase through the North Florida State College in 2007, the deal was designed to accomplish two things:

* To allow developer and jet business owner Jay Odom to get the state to pay for a storm-fortified hangar to house large jets that didn't fit in his own hangar at Destin Jet, his fixed-based operation at the Destin Airport. Odom insurers were balking at providing insurance for the building, demanding it include more storm-hardening elements than he had proposed. Having the state pay for the building eliminated that problem.

* And it allowed the college and the county to use the space for emergency training and emergency operations during hurricanes and natural disasters.

Whether Odom will be using the college-owned building for jets is still unknown. After Alex Leary of the Herald/Times started asking questions, both the college and Odom said there now was no plan for Odom to use the building for jet storage. That contradicts a trail of documents and statements that show that Odom not only sought the dual purpose, but presented architectural renderings that indicate it would be used by jets most of the time and emergency operations during hurricanes.

The sole purpose of this $6 million hangar-sized structure now appears to be to store emergency vehicles, train emergency workers, and operate as an emergency operations center during storms. Unless, of course, the college leases the space to Odom to store his jets. Story here.

Comments

[Want Answers]

Why was Rubio asleep at the wheel when all this was going on? He micro managed everything else, why not this? Miami Dade needed money for the DCD and was told there was none. Someone needs to ask Rubio why he did nothing to stop this. Miami programs were cut yet we built an airplane hanger in North Florida. Maybe the Herald should send a reporter to Dade Republican party meeting this week and ask Rubio these questions when he shows up to support Rivera for party chairman.

[panhandledem]

$15 million went to Marti Coley's employer Chipola College,

[Cheo]

GOP chairman candidate steers money into a congressional Democrat's campaign.

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