The city’s airport manager has been scrambling through a morass of federal roadblocks to stop the loss of 18 percent of the airport revenue.

The city side of aviation at Rosecrans Memorial Airport often seems to be an even-paced program without too much excitement. Last October, Mike Hurst, the airport manager, negotiated a five-year contract with the Federal Aviation Administration to lease tower space.

The contract generates $78,000 a year and the FAA had no questions before it routinely authorized the contract renewal, Mr. Hurst said. However, a certified letter from the FAA arrived on May 4 that stated that the agency was ending the contract on May 31.

The FAA’s contracts division felt that it could lease an office on Woodbine Road for $10,000 since the agency only had two technicians assigned to maintain equipment at Rosecrans, Mr. Hurst said. There was less than 30 days’ notice, Mr. Hurst said.

After a series of phone calls to regional FAA centers, Mr. Hurst got a promise that the contract would be continued through Sept. 30. On the surface, it looks like the FAA’s only reason for having a contract is the two technicians, but the situation is complicated.

In 1995, the FAA signed an interagency agreement with the National Guard Bureau to contract for a Level 1 Visual Flight Rules tower at Rosecrans, Mr. Hurst said. The interagency agreement calls for an annual meeting in July in Washington, Mr. Hurst said.

The airport manager and city staff will be at the annual meeting. Mr. Hurst hopes an agreement can be worked out between all parties that will maintain the FAA’s contribution to Rosecrans even if it opens an office on Woodbine Road.

Marshall White can be reached

at marshall@npgco.com.