By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
The airport runway must be rehabilitated as soon as
possible or there will not be a runway.
Bids for repairing the airstrip at the airport were
opened at council meeting. Low bidder for the rehabilitation
project was Geneva Rock Products in the amount of
$85,344.
Chad Brough, mayor, explained to the council that the
runway is so full of potholes and has so much damage that it
is almost unusable. In fact, he said, Mid-State, owners of a
small commuter jet, will no longer take off or land at the
city airport.
"The landing strip is continuing to deteriorate and needs
to be repaired immediately," said Brough.
The city council has been working for some time to add to
the airport so that the facility could be a hub for the
growing city. The vision has been, said Brough, that more
businesses like Mid-State Consultants would be attracted to
the community because of the easy access by both land and
air.
The plan is taking a great deal of time to accomplish,
however, and, meantime. The existing runway is falling
apart. There are soft shoulders and rutted landing strips to
contend with.
As a result of the council's concern about the
deterioration of what is there, bids were called for to
repair the facility and bring it back up to standard.
Four bids were received, said Randy McKnight, city
administrator.
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