Jul. 28--SIOUX CITY -- City officials appear poised to have a firm from Colorado take over management of Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, but a question on insurance related to the change will delay a decision by at least a week. 

The substantial shift in management was briefly discussed by Sioux City Council members in a Monday meeting, but they ultimately unanimously deleted the agenda item to give time for the firm to get insurance fully in place.

City Attorney Nicole DuBois said she expects IIAC, LLC, of Aurora, Colorado, to readily have those insurance details settled by early August.

The pending council decision involves contracting with IAAC to provide "regular on-site guidance and oversight for airport operations, maintenance, procedural development, training and FAA Part 139 requirements" at the city-owned airport, according to a memo.

The city will pay IAAC $8,333 per month during the one-year contract, which includes an option for an extension of one more year.

For many years, one city employee served as airport manager. Since roughly 2008, the airport has been without a dedicated manager, and more recently that role has been filled by Assistant City Manager Mike Collett.

Collett would oversee the contract with IAAC, a provider of airline, airport and air traffic control consultants. The firm's website said the company focuses on "increasing safety and improving efficiency" at airports, and City Manager Bob Padmore said they have a good track record.

Padmore said the city for now is not looking to turn over the airport's entire operations to IAAC, the way Spectra Venue Management effectively took over the Tyson Events Center in 2017.

Sioux Gateway Airport has had some troubles in recent years. Last December, the FAA proposed to levy a $145,452 civil penalty against the airport for numerous numerous alleged safety violations found during airport inspections in 2018 and 2019.

This year, the number of people boarding flights at the airport severely dropped due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Some flights this spring left the airport with fewer than 10 passengers.

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