After last night’s vote at Erie City Council, it seems now that we finally have a regional agreement ensuring the airport’s runway project. Of course, there’s nothing to take in effect cost overruns and contingencies that always accompany big-ticket items like this.

My hope is that the spirit of cooperation will prevail in the expansion of the Airport Authority, and the subsequent agreements and meeting with federal and state officials. But the projections look like this will get done in 2012: that’s less than 60 months from now. It is imperative that folks like the Erie Regional Chamber stay focused in their role as facilitator. Like Pres. Reagan used to say: “trust and verify.”

It is also incumbent that all who love Erie push for a comprehensive growth strategy, of which the airport is a key element. What will business, government, NPO’s, and finance do in the next 60 months to ready ourselves for opportunities ahead? What kind of transformation of spirit and attitude can we cultivate in our citizens that by the ribbon cutting, a new Erie has been transformed?

Let’s get this done already. The clock is ticking.