The Chilton County Airport Authority met during an emergency meeting Thursday to select an engineering consultant to assist in the growth and development of the airport.

Members of the Chilton County Airport Authority unanimously selected the Garver Firm to serve as the airport project consultant.

Billy Singleton with the Airport Authority said the purpose of the meeting was due to the Alabama Department of Transportation requiring airport project sponsors (in this case, the Chilton County Airport Authority) to go through the consultant selection process every three to five years.

“Our previous agreement with Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon was signed in 2010,” Singleton said. “To comply with the ALDOT guidance, we published a Request for Proposals from interested firms.”

Singleton said the Garver Firm was selected based on their performance working with other airports in Alabama.

“Garver has been in business for 95 years and has managed projects at airports in Auburn, Anniston, Greenville, Shelby County, Pell City and many others,” Singleton said. “We solicited recommendations of each firm from a sampling if airports and felt Garver to be best suited for our needs.”

Singleton said the vote doesn’t change anything as far as airport plans.

“We still have an Airport Layout Plan and Capital Improvement Plan to guide development of the airport,” Singleton said. “We feel that Garver is the best engineering firm to help us achieve our goals in a timely and efficient manner.”