Neil Weaver resigns from airport authority

Neil Weaver resigned Thursday from the Carson City Airport Authority after eight years on the city's airport regulatory board.

Weaver, a pilot and owner of Weaver Aircraft, said his frustrations with the authority had "reached a boiling point." He said the authority had abused the public's trust.

He said his resignation had nothing to do with the resignation of his wife, Yvon Weaver, as part-time airport manager.

"I don't tell her what drum to march to and she does the same," he said.

Yvon Weaver resigned Aug. 14 as airport manager following a phone call with authority member Richard Staub who was instructed by authority Chairman Steve Lewis to tell her there would be an agenda item discussing the possibility of making the manager a full-time salaried position and opening the job to interviews. Weaver and Staub disagree on the tone of the conversation.

Neil Weaver's second four-year term on the authority would have ended in a month. He hadn't been to meetings in four months.

He said he was frustrated that he was doing "more work than anyone" on the authority and that other members were taking the airport in the wrong direction. The board of supervisors, which appoints members of the authority, should suspend the authority and appoint new members, he said.

"It's headed for the rocks and that ain't right," he said.

The authority has owned and operated the airport since 1989. The airport does not have commercial service.

Lewis said it is an exciting time for an airport that has construction projects and millions of dollars in federal grants, but Weaver hasn't been part of that recently.

"Quite frankly, he should have resigned four months ago," Lewis said.

Weaver is "obviously full of opinions," Lewis said, but the authority is doing well.

Collie Hutter, an authority member, said she knew Weaver wasn't happy with the authority, but said that members try to do the best they can.

"I really don't understand what his thinking is on this," she said.

Weaver ran for Carson City mayor in 2000 and Ward 3 supervisor in 1998, 2002 and 2006. He lost the elections, losing the 2006 one to incumbent Pete Livermore by about four points.

- Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.