Jefferson City Council gave the green light on pursuing $45,400 worth of grant funds to replace the terminal at Jefferson City Memorial Airport.
Council members unanimously approved two bills Monday night that would create a supplemental agreement with the airport’s consultant Jviation and allow them to receive a grant to cover that agreement.
Typically bills are introduced and voted on at two council meetings, respectively. Ward 2 Councilman Rick Mihalevich motioned to suspend the rules so the grant application can be submitted ahead of the deadline.
Massive flood damage to the airport located in Callaway County closed the terminal in May. To move forward on constructing a new terminal and demolishing the current structure, a feasibility study through Jviation would determine plans for the airport’s future.
The study would identify potential cost estimates of a new terminal building, schematics of a terminal and where it would be placed, Jefferson City Department of Public Works Director Matt Morasch previously said.
“Basically what this contract will do is add on this terminal work to look at potential locations, size, some flooding issues,” Morasch said.
The organization would present two locations and uses for the terminal, according to the contract. Approximately 90 percent of the costs would be covered by the grant. The city would be responsible for the remaining 10 percent, which would take $5,000 from the airport’s portion of the capital improvement sales tax, Morasch said.
A public comment process would follow the study which will allow everyone to be aware of previous issues, he added.
If the current terminal is not demolished, it would need to be raised to meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s structural improvement rule. Structures in a floodplain can’t make improvements that exceed 50 percent of the structure’s value.
Tom Winters, of California, attended the meeting to discuss the airport plans with council. Winters retired from the airport in 2007 after 17 years.
After the record level flood in 1993 and 1995, he said, MODOT created a plan to make the west levee near U.S. 54 and raise it.
“I think that was a good idea,” Winters said. “I think with the recent flooding you might look and consider that as an alternative to patching what’s there.”
The Capital View Levee District has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address rehab work. The cost of rebuilding levees is split 80-20 between the federal government and local levee sponsors, respectively, Jefferson City Public Works Operations Director Britt Smith previously said.
“I think it would benefit the city, in the long run, to back the levee up a little bit,” Winters said. “The opposition in the pasts from what I remember was that people on this side of the river thought it would increase the water level over here by raising the levee a little bit on that side of the river. The studies by the corps of engineers didn’t indicate that but that was the feeling.”
He also recommended the city consider moving the control tower.
Mihalevich agreed the plan to raise the levee was well thought out and could be reactivated if there was enough support.
“They designed it,” Mihalevich said. “It was ready to be paid for but no one on this side of the river wanted to spend $10,000.”
Jviation is working on the Airport Master Plan and the Airport Layout Plan. The amendment changes with the feasibility study includes an extension of Dec. 31 to complete all projects, according to the contract.
Police K-9 sent into retirement
In other business Monday, the council approved funds that would transition Jefferson City Police K-9 Buzz into retirement after eight years of active duty. His age and intensity levels are negatively affecting his work, according to the bill.
“As of even six weeks ago, we thought that Buzz’s functionality would remain for another six to 12 months,” Jefferson City Police Chief Roger Schroeder said. “He is really digressing really quickly. The professional advice we’re receiving is that he must be replaced. He simply can’t function as he has in the past.”
The male German Shepherd has routinely achieved national and state certifications as a police utility canine, according to the bill. The supplement of $8,000 from the Drug Forfeiture Justice Account would purchase another K-9.
Also on Monday, the council approved a bill which allows surplus property to be eligible for purchase by adjacent property owners when land has proved difficult to sell.
Jefferson City Counselor Ryan Moehlman previously said neighboring property owners are often interested in adjoining lots owned by the city. However, they are uninterested in going through the bidding process.
Currently, the city puts all surplus pieces of property up for public bid but does not receive bids because of the limited value of some property.
The value of the lot to be sold would be calculated by “applying the neighboring lot’s appraised land value, determined by the county assessor, to the lot to be sold on a per-square-foot basis,” Moehlman previously said.
If the potential purchaser does not agree with the price of the land, the city would revert to the bid process.