NORWICH – Those responsible in Chenango County for pulling together a take-over plan and budget for Lt. Warren Eaton Airport are in hyper mode: The fixed base operator for the past decade is leaving Nov. 1.

The airport must stay open because it has received more than $15 million from the federal government for various improvements over the years and would be obliged to pay the money back if it didn’t.

“We have an extremely short window to get our act together,” said City of Norwich Supervisor Linda E. Natoli with an emphasis on the word “extremely.” Natoli was addressing members of the Planning & Economic Development Committee for which she serves as chairperson, as well as the airport’s part-time director, Donald MacIntosh.

She said the county is “committed to keeping it open.”