AREA AIRPORTS SEEK FUNDS FOR UPGRADES.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

Ventura County airport officials want to pursue $11.9 million in grants for major improvements to the Oxnard and Camarillo airports.

The funding requests are for the first two years of a five-year $18.7 million improvement plan covering most costs for repaving runways and taxiways, land acquisition, and drainage work through fiscal year 2000.

``These are important for safety and to maintain the life of the properties,'' said Rodney Murphy, county airports director. ``They reduce the cost of eventually replacing them.''

Airport officials hope to secure the funding sometime next year.

They are anticipating about $2.5 million in grants for repaving, fencing and drainage work at one or both airports. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors will consider the plan on Tuesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the state Division of Aeronautics require airports to file five-year capital improvement plans to qualify for grant funding. There is no guarantee that any particular project will receive funding, however.

It is an ongoing process whereby airport officials are always planning five years ahead, officials said.

The FAA pays for 90 percent of approved projects, while the county must kick in 10 percent from its airport revenues.

Supervisor Frank Schillo said he expects his board to give airport officials the green light to move forward on the projects.

``We should have good support at the board level,'' he said. ``It's important to have a goal you can work toward.''

Because Camarillo is classified as a ``reliever'' airport, which planes can use as a detour during heavy air traffic above the larger commercial airports, it also qualifies for 5 percent grant funding on certain projects, Murphy said.

The two-year plan for Oxnard Airport begins next federal fiscal year, on Oct. 1, 1998, and calls for $10 million in major drainage repairs, purchase of 20 acres of abutting land to enhance runway safety, repaving of the taxiways leading up to the runway, and drainage and light work.

At Camarillo Airport, officials want $1.9 million for repair to the terminal ramps where planes park, construction of an access road, drainage work and marking the runway.

County environmental officials are reviewing the airports' 20-year $53.5 million plan, which includes goals of the five-year plan in addition to larger terminals, new hangars, an additional runway and major land purchases.

Supervisors, who have approved the plan in concept, could by next summer vote on whether to adopt the master plan.