Imagine being owed $1 million and going years without collecting.
Emails are sent, with no response. Phone calls aren't returned. Knocking on the door doesn't do any good because no one seems to ever be in the office. As a last resort, a note demanding payment is slipped under the deadbeat's door.
But still, no check has arrived.
That's the predicament the Springfield Airport Authority finds itself in with the state of Illinois.
The Illinois Department of Transportation administers Federal Aviation Administration money. In September 2019, the SAA received a Federal Airport Improvement Grant for multiple projects, including improving the airport's main runway and making other improvements such as drainage and wildlife control.
One of the projects was awarded in September 2022 in the amount of $1,050,306, and the work was completed by December of that year. The FAA made funding available in February 2023 to pay invoices, but IDOT never dispersed the funds.
"It's just been hanging on their books for a couple of years, and we were waiting on the state to pay us so we could pay the contractor close to $1 million," said Mark Hanna, executive director of the SAA. "We could not wait any longer. We had to get the contractor paid, so the Airport Authority paid the balance to the contractor.
"The money has been sitting at IDOT, at the division of aeronautics, for quite some time. And all of a sudden, we're getting pings from the FAA about the period of performance for these grants. This grant in particular has come up, and they are wanting to recall the dollars because the state has not drawn down the money."
Faced with the prospect of the feds clawing back the dollars because of the state's inaction, Hanna compiled a thick folder of all the letters, emails and other correspondence that the airport has sent to IDOT. He then went to the agency's division of aeronautics office, which ironically, is a tenant at the airport.
"They went over to take it to the people at the building, found the building was locked and there wasn't even a guard there," said Dianne Barghouti Hardwick, a member of the SAA board.
Several more trips were made to the aeronautics office, all with the same result. Finally, Hanna slid the file under the office door in hopes someone would get back to him.
"I did get a call back from the director of aeronautics, and he is now personally involved," Hanna said. "And I think things are starting to loosen up and the project is supposed to be getting paid, I guess."
But no check has arrived so far.
When contacted by Illinois Times, IDOT spokesperson Paul Wappel said in a written statement, "We have been coordinating with airport staff, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration, to make sure the necessary steps are in order so the funding can be processed. We anticipate any outstanding issues to be resolved in the next couple of weeks."
Hanna said he has no idea why the state is so slow in paying what it owes.
"I'm not going to pretend to understand 100% what they do," he said. "Or how they have to go about doing it."
In his response, IDOT's Wappel offered this explanation for the tardiness, "The timeline for payment (is) due to administrative changes with the grant agreement. At this time, all parties are working together to see that the funding is provided as soon as possible."
Hanna said Springfield is not unique; airports across the state have had similar problems with IDOT in getting paid.
Hanna added he has no idea why the state's office on the airport grounds is often empty.
"I don't know their work hours or their work schedules," he said. "I think some do work remote, some don't. Usually, the security guard over there is happy to open the door. But not this time – the guard wasn't even there."
Airport Authority Chair Frank Vala said he is hopeful the federal dollars administered by the state will come through, despite the feds calling for clawing back the money.
"I believe that the federal government just fired a shotgun to see who catches a pellet. And if they don't (catch a pellet), they go onto something else. That's my wild guess right now – until I can get into it deeper."
