Committee OKs tapping into federal funds for 90% of new hangars

Taylor County is tapping into federal funds to get additional airport hangar space.

Members of the county’s finance committee on November 14 voted to approved moving ahead with plans to install a three-bay rectangular box hangar at the county airport. The total cost of the new hangars will be $1 million. The lion’s share of the project cost will be paid for through federal aviation grant funds. This will cover at least $900,000 of the project cost with the county responsible for $100,000 for the local match. However, the airport can use its normal federal and state allocation funds to pay for the local match, effectively making the project have no cost to local taxpayers.

The project timeline is for planning to take place in 2025 and construction to occur in fall of 2026. Committee chair Chuck Zenner, who also chairs the airport committee, said the state Bureau of Aeronautics has indicated there is a possibility that the federal funding could go as much as 95% of the project total, which would reduce the local match to $50,000, which would come from the federal and state allocations committed to be used at the airport.

The federal funding to airports comes through airport fees charged to those flying. Those funds are then dispersed around the country to general aviation airports for maintenance and improvement efforts.

A major question for committee members was how this fit in with the needs of the airport with committee member Scott Mildbrand questioning if replacing the terminal should be a higher priority. He noted that they have been told the terminal building needs work and is in disrepair.

Zenner said a new terminal building was discussed as a possibility, but the airport manager noted that the terminal is not going to make the county any money, while the county can lease out the hangar space and recoup its costs. Zenner also noted that the runway is in good condition and is estimated to be fine for the next three to five years without any major work to be done. He said by that time, the airport will have additional federal and state allocations to do projects.

“Why don’t we give money to the projects we need?” Mildbrand said. “This is wasteful. It is just wasteful,” he said.

Zenner responded stating that if the county does not use it for the airport here, the money will be spent somewhere else. “Someone else will take it,” he said.

The local match will come from money the airport receives each year for maintenance and upgrades. The county can accumulate up to four years worth of allocation after which time the oldest allotment must be returned. There is also the option of pooling funds with other airports, for example, Taylor County will be transferring some its unused allotment to Price County’s airport. However, as Zenner noted, that airport in the future will have money it can’t use that could be sent to Taylor County.

While questioning the length of their repayment plan for the county portion of the funds, committee member Mike Bub cited the economic value of the airport to the community, noting that without the airport there would be at least 650 fewer jobs in the community.

Mildbrand objected to the suggestion he was against economic development. He said he the county already has additional hangar space from the purchase of the former Weather Shield Hangar. He said that while he will vote no on this project he feels he is still a friend to economic development in the community. The resolution to proceed with the hangar plan passed 4-1 with only Mildbrand opposed. The request will go to the full county board for final approval.