County to seek additional options for future of airport

The Linn County Commission will look for alternatives after the latest attempt to find an operator for the county airport failed. (File photo)

MOUND CITY – Linn County Airport Manager Jessica Hightower told the commissioners on Monday, Sept. 18, that there had been no responses to the request for proposals for an airport fixed-base operator(FBO).

The commissioners decided to meet with the airport advisory committee to discuss options. Hightower will set up the meeting.

Hightower also reported that workers from the Garnett Municipal Airport have started removing fuel from the tank at the Linn County airport. That airport purchased the fuel from Linn County after commissioners decided it was too expensive to repair a pump that takes credit cards on the county’s fuel tank.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved entering into a co-location agreement with the water tower company at 1095 and 1850 Road so that the county could install two antennas on top of the water tower as well as a small enclosure at the bottom of the tower for the county’s equipment. The agreement was for an indefinite period of time with 180-day notice if one party wanted to cancel the agreement.

In the agreement, the water district receives free internet service from the county at that location and the county will allow them access to the security cameras if needed. The water district will provide the electrical service there.

• Learned that Public Works Director Shaun West met with the county’s on-call engineering firm, Pfefferkorn Engineering, to look at solutions for Queens Road in the wildlife area. A representative from Kansas Wildlife was also there.

West said that Pfefferkorn had come up with a simplified plan for repairing the road. He told the commissioners that Pfefferkorn would set up the tasks needed to repair the road, and they will be split between the county and the wildlife department.

• Approved an engineering agreement with Pfefferkorn in the amount of $62,000 for the work on 1095 road for the High Risk Road Grant that the county had received for $352,000.

• Learned from West that Straightline Striping told him that there was no guarantee or expectation for any materials used on the chip and seal of County road 1077.

Even though chip and seal roads are not usually striped, West and Commissioner Jim Johnson had received several complaints about the darkness of the roadway due to the problems with the mixture.

• Approved a subdivision re-plat requested by Christopher Boley for BD Ranch II.