By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
In a 10-minute meeting Thursday night, Hays city commissioners approved the purchase of land to expand the airport's foot print.
The city was offered the purchase of a 20.33-acre tract of land on the east side of the airport.
The Hays Regional Airport master plan and airport layout plan includes acquisition of land for existing and future aviation demand.
"In order to be eligible for 90 percent FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) reimbursement, the property in question has to be part of the airport layout plan, which this is," City Manager Toby Dougherty told commissioners. "It was identified in the last two master plans. actually. as opportunities for growth."
Total cost of the land, owned by JoAnn Koerner, along with its acquisition, is $261, 692.
The purchase is eligible for 90 percent funding through the FAA, with a 10 percent city match of $26, 129.
"We are somewhat landlocked around the immediate terminal area and hangar area, "Dougherty said.
"So we would either have to develop a new portion of airport property which would probably include more taxiways and connectors, or grow to the east.
"So this is the logical extension of the airport which provides quite a bit of room for future growth."
Because the city is purchasing the land with a 90/10 match by the FAA, the requirements are "much more onerous than what we would typically go through when we buy a piece of property," Dougherty added.
As part of the FAA’s AIP requirements, the city hired H.W. Lochner, Inc., a Chicago-based construction engineering company, to administer land acquisition services for a cost of $99,85, of which the city will pay 10 percent.
Environmental site assessments, land survey, title search, and an appraisal/review process were completed prior to extending the offer of $154,505, the determined value of the 20.33-acre tract of land.
Total land acquisition cost to the city is $26,129 which will be paid from the airport reserve fund.
Commissioner Ron Mellick thanked Koerner for working with the city.
"I think we are very lucky to be able to acquire this land right up to the airport and to the east, so that we don't have to in the future build taxiways. 'Cause as we all know, taxiways are very, very expensive. So thank you, JoAnn."
"I agree," said Shaun Musil, commissioner. "To me, this is the best thing for the future of our airport."
There are 43 hangars at the airport and all are occupied. There is limited space for new hangar construction within the airport's current layout.
According to information from city staff, the demand for hangars continues to increase.
Commissioners also approved a quitclaim deed for transfer of mineral rights requested by Rick and Betty Wolf.
Several years ago, the city acquired the right of way for the northeast portion of what would be the 260th Avenue and East 41st Street intersection. Along with that acquisition came the mineral rights.
The owners of the contiguous tract want to sell the property along with the mineral rights and have asked the city to deed those rights back to the adjacent property.
There is a producing oil well on the property and because the city owns the street tract it has a small interest in the production of the oil and gas.
According to figure from City Attorney John Bird, the one-tenth acre the city owns would amount to an annual barrel production of 0.0168 barrels, or "at the most the city would have been receiving a dollar a year, so I have no problem recommending approval of [this] resolution.."
Commissioner Mellick abstained from the vote because he is related to the Wolfs.
Mayoral appointments to several volunteer city committees and boards were also unanimously approved.
