“Given the legal conclusion, the proposed project is authorized under Section 3.8 . . . of the development agreement, as it is mandated by the Transportation Security Administration,” Georgino wrote in her decision.
The facility will house a new $2.5 million explosive-detection device and conveyor system that is faster and more efficient than the outdated security system currently being used in Terminal B, airport Police Chief Ed Skvarna said.
“The new technology is state-of-the-art, the best that’s available,” he said. “[It] will improve efficiency and do a better job of detecting. We want to do the best job we can to protect the passengers.
“The main thing the new machine will do is move baggage inspection from a public building to a remote area that is blast-hardened. The bags won’t be inspected close to the public, and it won’t be necessary to evacuate the terminal to deal with a suspicious object.”
While this will not necessarily cut down on Terminal B evacuations — of which about six have occurred this year — it will increase the safety of passengers who are now close to the luggage, he said.
For some in the community, though, this is less about security and more about the city’s willingness to support airport projects.
“I’m completely disgusted with the council’s whole approach over the years to back the airport in anything they want,” resident Don Elsmore said. “To me, that’s a clear indication of what’s been happening all along, which is, support the airport at all costs even to the detriment of the community.”
Elsmore, who lives three miles from the airport, believes the city’s decision violates the development agreement.
