Unexpected drainage bill could delay some Northeast Iowa Regional Airport projects

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The North Cedar Aviation Authority took some time discussing its latest proposed airport capital improvement plan at the authority’s monthly meeting this week – a plan that could include safety and security upgrades, adding another hangar, replacing snow removal equipment and lengthening and widening the main runway.

It’s also a plan that could have some parts delayed somewhat because of a bill the Aviation Authority received from the county.

The Northeast Iowa Regional Airport east of Charles City, which is owned and operated by the Aviation Authority, sits in the District 1 drainage district in Floyd County, that recently underwent a major reconstruction project and reclassification.

Although the Floyd County supervisors act as the trustees of the county drainage districts, costs incurred in the districts are paid by the people, businesses or organizations that own property there. The assessment for repairs and other work in a drainage district depends on the number of acres owned and the relative benefit that each parcel receives from the work.

In the case of the Airport Authority, the unexpected bill came in at $47,500.67 for the work done and $4,308.71 for the reclassification, for a total of $51,809.38.

Jeff Sisson, the Aviation Authority chair, said, “We got an assessment of about $52,000 and we paid it, but it came directly out of our budget. Our new budget was effective July 1. Shortly after July 1 we got notice that we owed it, and we paid it.”

Sisson noted that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) usually requires a 10% local match when it funds airport projects, so the $52,000 bill potentially delayed $520,000 worth of federal funding.

“We don’t have a great big budget. But we’ve always prided ourselves that we’ve done all that we can to improve the airport, keep us popular with the general aviators,” Sisson said.

“We want to find projects so we can leverage what little we have to our best advantage,” he said. “Some of that stuff’s going to get pushed back. That’s why we went through this today.”

Sisson said he doesn’t dispute that the Aviation Authority owed the money, and said drainage districts are important, “but it’s an expense that we didn’t have a chance to accrue and plan for.”

The proposed airport capital plan calls for:

• Updating the airport master plan in fiscal year 2024 – $250,000 ($25,000 local match).
• Acquiring snow removal equipment in fiscal year 2025 – $330,000 ($33,000 local match).
• New 10-unit hangar in fiscal year 2026 – $1.94 million ($299,463 local match, because some 15% match state funds are anticipated being used).

Other projects that are listed so the FAA is aware of them, but that don’t have specific fiscal years attached to them, include:

• Constructing a paved runway where the grass 4/22 runway is now – $6.7 million ($670,000 local match).
• Expanding the length and width of the current main 12/30 runway to 5,500 ft. by 100 ft., plus taxiway, including acquiring additional land – $14.3 million ($1.43 million local match).

The airport currently receives about $150,000 a year in state Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding, and is anticipating receiving an additional $159,000 per year for five years in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding. That extra $795,000 BIL funding will be used for the local match on capital improvement projects, Sisson said.