PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If Philadelphia City Council clears the idea for takeoff, voters this fall could decide whether the division that runs Philadelphia International Airport should be its own department in the mayor’s cabinet.
Outgoing airport CEO Chellie Cameron endorsed the idea Monday in a hearing before Council’s Law and Government Committee.
Under the current arrangement, the City of Philadelphia Division of Aviation – which oversees Philadelphia International and Northeast airports – falls under the Commerce Department.
Giving the Division of Aviation its own seat in the mayor’s cabinet would streamline operations by allowing the airport director to sign grants and contracts directly instead of navigating bureaucratic hurdles, Cameron said.
“Prior to the current signatory process instituted by the Kenney administration, airport agreements and other important contracts needed to be signed by other member of the administration,” Cameron said. “This resulted in delays conforming grant agreements, signing leases and authorizing other important contracts.”
Cameron, who departs her post next month to become the next president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, said having an aviation department would also help the airport to create new positions not found in the civil service ranks.
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“A perfect example of this is [how] we added a director of guest experience, which is a program than many airports and instituted years ago,” she said.
“It was only through borrowing, if you will, a position from the managing director’s office and filling that position were we able to establish that function.”
A cabinet-level aviation department would be better able to coordinate the airport’s planned use of federal infrastructure funds with the city’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability, Cameron said.
“It all has to work in tandem. If we build those additional cargo buildings and don’t have the additional access onto I-95, those trucks could potentially have to go through the airport to get to another slip ramp which would really gridlock traffic,” she said.
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Cameron said the move would bring Philadelphia in line with other large-hub cities including Denver, Chicago and Atlanta.
“We really see this as a modernization, if you will, of the alignment to make sure that we are kind of keeping up with our peers,” she said.
Moving aviation into its own department would require a change to the city’s Home Rule Charter.
Council’s Law and Government Committee Monday approved a bill proposing the charter change. If the bill passes the full Council, the charter change question would appear on the November ballot.
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