July 23--Kerr County commissioners endorsed a proposal Monday to build new T-hangars at the Kerrville airport. The next step for the airport board is to seek approval from the Kerrville City Council. Council members will hear the airport board's presentation at tonight's council meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
Airport board president Stephen King told commissioners Monday that the build-design project through the Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Division is the first of its kind in the state. TxDOT will pay 90 percent of the project, but unlike other state funded airport projects across the state, which are managed by TxDOT, this project will be managed by the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport Board, allowing the city and county to participate in the project.
The plan, supported by the airport board, asks the county to complete the site work and the city to do the paving. The airport would fund the materials for the city and the county.
TxDOT Aviation has approved a $650,000 grant for the project that would fund up to 90 percent of the work. King said the airport board hopes to construct at least 10 T-hangars.
"We will see how far the money goes," King said.
County Commissioner Tom Moser, who served on the airport board before he was elected commissioner, said several years ago, when the airport board first started talking about building new T-hangars, TxDOT would have funded only 10 percent of the project.
He said the state's willingness to fund more of the project has made it possible and that completing the project will add revenue to the airport's bottom line.
"It's leading us to where no funds will be needed from the public to fund this airport," Moser said.
The airport currently receives funding supplements from the city and the county. This year, the city and the county each contributed $90,000 to the airport budget.
T-hangars are named for their shape, like the letter, and are leased to individual plane owners to store their aircrafts. The airport already has 16 T-hangars. All of those currently are under lease for $250 per month.
The proposal is to lease the new hangars for $295 per month with a discounted rate of $280 per month for those who pay a year in advance.
Commissioner Jonathan Letz also noted that the T-hangars will bring in more revenue and said the airport board has put a lot of work into the project.
"It's hard to understand unless you go to a lot of T-hangars how much time the airport board has spent on this," Letz said.
He said the board has been working on this project for at least three years or more and considered multiple sites.
"This will be a big step toward making the airport more self-sufficient," Letz said.
County Judge Pat Tinley called the project a "big step toward making the airport more self-sufficient" and said the airport has been fortunate to get TxDOT grant money for several projects over the past years.
"I think the result of that was culminated with last year's designation of this airport as general aviation airport of the year," Tinley said. "Now with this project, that just shows the confidence TxDOT has in the board and you Mr. King and you Mr. (Bruce) McKenzie (airport manager)."
Letz also commented that the T-hangar project is another example of the city and county working together.
"We get beat up quite a bit for not working with the city," Letz said, but there have been several projects at the airport, including the recent fenced parking facility at the airport that the city and the county have worked together to complete.
Letz added that at the airport, they have, "great cooperation."
In other matters, commissioners:
--Approved optional motor vehicle fees charged by Kerr County for calendar year 2014. No changes were made for the fees, which include a $10 fee to help fund county road and bridge.
--Approved professional services agreement with Tetra Tech Inc. for engineering services related to the East Kerr Water Planning project.
--Approved temporary easement agreements and letters of notification to property owners for the Kerrville South Waste Water System services.
--Recognized and presented awards to top two individuals for the Kerr County Wellness Program Sonic Boom 8 week challenge.
--Approved the purchase of a truck for animal control for $26,000 and a commuter vehicle for $6,900 for the courthouse.
--Heard a presentation from Zack Barrett with Coast 2 Coast Rx regarding their prescription medication program.
--Authorized payment of $66,000 for the 198th District Attorney's Office project.
--Authorized the County Auditor to do audit for Emergency Service District No. 2 for the Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department.
--Received two responses to requests for qualifications for consultants for emergency medical services and referred those to representatives of the commissioners for review and recommendation.
Copyright 2013 - Kerrville Daily Times, Texas
