Concordia City Commission Approves Soliciting Bids for Shortening of Crosswind Runway 12/30 at Blosser Municipal Airport

The Concordia City Commission met for its latest regular meeting on Wednesday, April 6th where they voted to authorize City Manager Amy Lange to proceed with soliciting bids for shortening crosswind Runway 12/30 at Blosser Municipal Airport.

Recently, the City of Concordia has received serious interest in developing Lots 1 and 2, Block A, of College Drive Park.  In a memorandum to the Concordia City Commission, City Manager Lange says one barrier to the development of these lots is the Runway Protection Zone (RPZ) of crosswind Runway 12/30 overlaid on these lots.  The presence of the RPZ on these lots prevents vertical construction, rendering these prime commercial sites undevelopable.  The solution to allow development on Lots 1 and 2 is to shorten crosswind Runway 12/30 by approximately 200 feet, which would move the RPZ east and off of these lots.

The Concordia Airport Advisory Board is supportive of shortening this runway in order to make these lots developable.

As part of the grant closeout documents for construction of the recently-completed Runway 18/36 at Blosser Municipal Airport, a revised Airport Layout Plan (ALP) must be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The ALP is a drawing depicting all runways at Blosser Municipal Airport and associated restricted areas, buildings, roads, and more.  Benesch is working on this document now.  Lange says proceeding now with shortening of the crosswind Runway 12/30 would allow Benesch to complete the ALP as part of the grant closeout documents.

Lange told commissioners proceeding with this project would require re-prioritization of near-future planned capital improvement plan (CIP) projects, but would allow private commercial development to proceed on Lots 1 and 2, Block A, of College Drive Park.

Lange also noted that two other barriers exist to development of these lots that must also be worked out with the developer.  These include the need to extend a water main to provide service to these lots, and the need to perform a traffic study if widening and/or relocation of the existing curb cut is desired by the developer.

Also during Wednesday's meeting, the commission voted to authorize Mayor Ashley Hutchinson to sign the license agreement for a private sloped retaining wall structure in a public utility easement, thereby allowing Cloud County Health Center to proceed with construction of a sloped retaining wall along the northern/western edge of the new hospital property on College Drive.  The retaining wall is to ensure adequate structural support for an access road required around the perimeter of the site for deliveries and fire department access.

The sloped retaining wall will require a portion of the wall to be constructed on an adjacent city property located within the flood control basin.  A portion of the sloped retaining wall will also encroach into a public utility easement containing a sanitary sewer main.  Cloud County Health Center understands their risk and responsibility should maintenance of this sanitary sewer main be required.

Mayor Hutchinson, the Director of Governmental Relations/Affiliate Marketing and PR for Salina Regional Health Center, abstained from the vote.

The commission voted to approve the purchase of a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) air compressor from Darley of Itasca, Illinois in the amount of $7,716.95.  Darley is a leading provider of firefighting equipment, rescue gear, tools and supplies.  The SCBA sets are worn by fire fighters, rescue workers and emergency responders in hostile environments and the breathing air compressors supply clean, breathable air to the sets.  Concordia City Fire Chief Eric Voss said the current air compressor, which was purchased in 2000, threw a piston last month.  Voss said this compressor, which has been rebuilt once before, has served its time and is not worth fixing.

The commission also approved the appointment of Darren Hill to his first term on the Concordia Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals.  The Planning Commission is responsible for the zoning regulations, subdivision regulations, site plan review and the comprehensive plan, while the Board of Zoning Appeals is responsible for hearing and deciding on exceptions, variances and exceptions to the zoning and subdivision regulations.

Before adjourning, the commission held two Executive Sessions for Attorney-Client Privilege, totaling 60-minutes in length, with City Manager Lange and City Attorney Justin Ferrell in attendance.  No action was taken after the sessions.

Following their regular meeting, the commission held a study session to discuss a few non-labor-intensive alternatives to adequately maintain the public drainage ditches throughout the community.