After months of deliberating, the Bartow Airport Authority by consensus instructed Bartow Municipal Airport Executive Director Cynthia Barrow at its Monday, March 11, meeting to go forward and issue a default notification to Gerry Butterworth. His business, Florida Aircraft Painting of Bartow, once occupied a hangar and an office in the municipal airport industrial park. Butterworth, who in 2012 agreed to pay for a Phase II Environmental Report if one was deemed necessary — and subsequently was — has since balked and has refused to pay the $13,477 it cost the Airport Authority to have the study conducted.

The lack of payment has proven to be a stumbling block for the Airport Authority, which wishes to conclude a sublease agreement with Phil McCoy, president and CEO of Light Sport America who wants to take over the hangars that formerly housed Florida Aircraft Painting.