The General Assembly has approved an enactment of a R.I. Airport Corporation version of the state PILOT program.
The Legislature Thursday approved and sent to the governor bills introduced in the Senate and the House of Representatives that will require the Airport Corporation to reimburse communities that house state airports for any municipal services provided on airport-controlled property.
Much as the existing state Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) program repays communities for municipal services at state facilities such as the ACI and state hospitals, the bills will require similar payments by RIAC for municipal services at airports in Westerly, Block Island, Newport, Lincoln and Quonset Point. (Warwick already receives compensation from the state because of T.F. Green Airport.)
“If an emergency occurs at one of these airports, on corporation property outside the airfield, it is the host community’s fire, rescue or police that respond,” said Rep. Peter L. Lewiss, D-Westerly, a sponsor of the House bill. “While these airports can and do general economic benefits for the host community, the towns and their taxpayers should not have to foot the entire bill for such services provided on RIAC property.”
“Just as the PILOT program reimburses communities for rescue, fire and police responses at state facilities, this legislation would expect similar reimbursement from the Airport Corporation,” said Senate Minority Leader Dennis L. Algiere, R-Charlestown and Westerly, a sponsor of the Senate bill. “It is a matter of fairness to the taxpayers of the various communities that are home to these RIAC-controlled airports. Certainly the towns would never refuse to provide emergency assistance where necessary, but as a non-taxpaying property holder, the RIAC should be in some way financially accountable.”
The Westerly legislators said that the fact that the RIAC is a quasi-public agency should not absolve it from acknowledging the assistance provided by the host community or reimbursing the community for that aid.
Under the legislation, municipal services would include but not be limited to providing primary response and command for all structure fire alarms and E-911 reporting system calls for extrications, industrial accidents, motor vehicle accidents and hazardous material incidents as well as for secondary response to airfield incidents.
Also reimbursable would be responding to and providing treatment and transportation for all emergency medical service calls on RIAC property and for maintaining a mutual aid agreement to respond to any potential catastrophe or emergency resulting from airport operations.
