Last week, we wondered if Council might reconsider the big plans to expand Terminal B in light of airline industry merger mania. The answer, as reported by KHOU-11, is no:
Under a plan approved Wednesday by the Houston City Council, IAH will soon impose a $3 passenger facility fee if it’s approved by the FAA. Airport administrators said the approval process typically takes a few months.
Airlines would charge the fee when passengers book tickets that depart from or land at IAH. They would then pass the money on to the Houston Airport System. The funding would help pay for a $1.2 billion reconstruction of Terminal B and its parking garages.
KHOU also reports that Council today delayed action for a week on a plan to purchase new helicopters for HPD:
A proposal to buy six new choppers for roughly $17 million dollars was delayed a week on the request of Council Members Anne Clutterbuck and Pam Holm, each for different reasons.
Holm questioned whether the city needs to spend millions of dollars on relatively few vehicles, when there’s also a need for hundreds of new police cars and money to pay additional officers.
Clutterbuck said she is worried that purchasing six helicopters all at once will only create further problems for future administrations
