KINGMAN – Kingman City Manager Ron Foggin has responded to critical communications from Airport Advisory Commission Chairman Carl Hays and Steve Johnston, the airport manager who has resigned his position (twice) and been sent home until his Nov. 13 exit date.
Hays expressed his displeasure with Foggin and Economic Development Director Gary Kellogg in a recent letter to the mayor and council members.
“I have sent letters to the mayor and city council members about serious problems with upper city management of the airport. It appears my letters are not being taken seriously. They need to be,” Hays said. “Mr. Foggin and Mr. Kellogg can be gone in an hour, but the city will be left with the problems.”
Foggin responded Monday that Hays is part of the problem. Foggin said Hays keeps trying to involve himself in airport operations while he is a member of an advisory commission.
“The city needs to carefully investigate the complaints made to HR by airport personnel through the end of Nov. as there may be more in the near future,” Hays said in his letter.
“When a commission member gets into HR matters, they’re immediately out of their lane,” Foggin said.
An email from Kellogg to Foggin obtained through a public records request reveals that Johnston’s ID card, cell phone, keys and other city property was collected when the airport manager was sent home on Oct. 16, nearly a month from the effective date of his resignation.
“He will be on a ‘call if needed basis’”, Kellogg’s email said. “He will not be back on property unless by our invitation.”
Johnston originally indicated his resignation intention in mid-August but rescinded that decision after a meeting with Foggin. His second resignation letter reveals that he agreed to stick it out another six months after the Foggin meeting.
“Since our conversation I have seen few changes in the flow of information or cooperation from the economic development division at the airport,” the second letter stated. “Unfortunately I will not be able to meet the six-month timeline that we discussed.”
Foggin said Johnston was reporting to Hays and other commissioners more than he was City Hall. Foggin said Johnston works for the city, not the commission.
And Foggin said Hays and some other commissioners seem to want to run the airport when they are merely an advising and recommending body. “They want to be down in the weeds telling us how to run the day to day operations of our airport,” Foggin said.
Commission member Bill Burrows, like Hays, also took aim at city hall when speaking during the Oct. 12 commission meeting.
“We, as a commission, as well as the city administration, did Steve (Johnston) a great disservice by not giving him the support he needs in order for him to do the job that he felt comfortable in order to stay with us,” Burrows said. “I’m personally ashamed of my lack of effort and the lack of response by this commission as well as our own city.”
Hays has also complained that Kellogg has improperly meddled with commission affairs by failing to place matters on the agenda as Hays wishes. Foggin said that’s because he, Kellogg and city attorney Carl Cooper have had to repeatedly prevent commission consideration of matters that are not within their scope or periphery.
Hays and Johnston declined comment when contacted.
Joe Husband is running the airport on an interim basis. Kellogg said the city has initiated a campaign to recruit and hire a new airport manager.
Dave Hawkins
The original city takeover (coup d’tat) of the old Airport Commission was fraudulent. All of the rhetoric about hidden and misuse of money was a lie. Some of the most civic minded, selfless people were falsely accused. This current issue is pushed by the same.people that caused the last crisis, and by certain ambituous members of the City Council, who spend much city money on over the top rhetoric by a bombastic attorney, and nonsensical use of eminent domain. We dont know how many critics of the old airport authority were not paying their own required payments. Put people on the Airport advisory commission that dont have a conflict of interest at the airport.