With seven members present, the Trenton City Council endorsed an idea proposed by pilots allowing them to construct and own an eight place T-hangar building at the Trenton airport. The new all-metal building would replace the two wooden hangars currently in use at the airport.
An engineering company assembled a cost estimate for the new hangar building including footings, flooring, sidewalls, and electrical at $585,000. City administrator Ron Urton said bids would be sought for the T-hangars demolition, removal of trees, and other site work and preparations. This includes raising the elevation so the new site for the hangar is at least one foot above the high water mark of last year’s flood.
The engineer’s total construction estimate for the entire hangar project was quoted as $1,259.600. There’s another $50,000 estimated cost to relocate the fuel tanks at the airport.
Officials provided a chart showing one million dollars of the cost could be covered with a Federal Aviation Administration and MoDOT block grant; plus $450,000 the city will have as “credits” by the year 2023 because a minimum of ten planes are housed at the airport. Urton said $150,000 could be borrowed to cover the balance of the city expense which also is the amount the city receives annually as an airport revenue credit.
Now that the council has given its blessing, the pilots will try to come up with the financial commitment to do their share – paying for hangar construction. Once it’s built, the pilots’ group would lease the land from the city and pay taxes which it’s not currently taxed. There would be no hangar rent coming to the city.
In other action, the council approved by ordinance, a lease with Aaron Landes, doing business as Landes Farms of rural Jamesport, regarding 65 acres of cropland in North Trenton. It’s a one year lease that automatically renews each year, up to four times. The cash rent paid to the city by March 1st each year is $191.52 per acre or $12,448 per year. Landes submitted the only bid regarding the farm ground lease.
Approval was given by the city council to purchase a sewer cleaner from Key Equipment and Supply Company. The cost is $67,680 and replaces a model that is ten years old. The cost was described as under what the city had budgeted.
The finance committee will begin working on the new fiscal year budgets starting with a meeting next week with the city administrator, city clerk, and TMU Comptroller. Meetings begin the week of February 25th with department heads.
In his written report to the council, Administrator Urton said cold weather has delayed the headworks project at the wastewater treatment plant but it’s tentatively expected to be operating in early April. When weather permits, the last concrete pour is scheduled for the area north of the scales at the new asphalt plant. Officials also are tentatively planning by late March, to begin storm drainage work at the intersection of 17th Street and Pleasant Plain. Urton said the contractor will be coordinating with railroad officials regarding the use of a crane for the 17th Street Bridge replacement project. He also indicated the actual work there could begin in the middle of May.
Councilwoman Cathie Smith was absent from the meeting.
