There's a lot of paperwork involved in public projects, but every paper clipped or stapled bulk of tree pulp helps turn a blueprint into a building.

Thus the Pahrump Town Board's approval of amending its contract with Aries Consultants, Ltd. is one more step in completing the Pahrump Valley Airport, to be located two miles south of Gamebird Road and Winchester Avenue.

The contract was tweaked at the Sept. 25 meeting to include additional funding from a Federal Aviation Administration grant for $475,000

The money will be used to fund an environmental assessment on the BLM property slated for the future airport.

The amendment to the contract was not passed unanimously, however, as Vice Chairman John McDonald voted against it.

McDonald's main contention was the grant amounted to a significant increase in the Aries Contract.

He added that he did not get an opportunity to see the grant application and did not want to vote for the amendment without more information.

"I have to tell you as a long time government employee, this sounds to me like the work expanding to meet the funding," McDonald said.

Freddie Comperchio, representing Aries Consultants, explained that originally the town applied for an FAA grant that would have funded both a master plan and the environmental assessment.

However, the FAA only gave half the amount applied for and asked that the two tasks be divided into two phases.

Since then, the master plan has been completed and as such the FAA has awarded the grant in question so the town could proceed to phase two.

Clerk Don Rust disagreed with McDonald, stating that he trusted in the FAA's decision making process in allocating money.

"I guarantee you as a former government employee having been involved with federal grants, they don't just approve grants and you don't misspend grant money," Rust said. "I have full confidence that Aries and the airport advisory committee are fully aware of what they're doing and how they're doing it."