Ellsworth City

The Ellsworth City Council took an another step Monday toward the renovation of a runway at Ellsworth Municipal Airport, which will be completely funded through grant funds from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The council accepted a determination from the FAA that the runway and a parallel taxiway at the airport should be extended by 75 feet to 4,500 feet.

The FAA notified city officials in May that Ellsworth had received a grant award of $9.2 million that would cover the entire cost of extending the runway. Upon request, local officials provided the FAA with information about future airport needs, and FAA officials visited the airport to learn about its value to the community.

City administrator Scott Moore said the FAA’s final recommendation was for a slightly smaller runway than originally requested, which will reduce the total cost of the project, although it will still be paid in full by the FAA.

Moore said he received a memo from the FAA informing the city that the agency plans to proceed with the renovation of a taxiway adjacent to the runway. The taxiway will be renovated from an asphalt road to a concrete road.

Mike Olson, President of Kirkham Michael and Associates, thanked Moore, Mayor Alan Stefek, the Airport Advisory Board, Sen. Jerry Moran and Rep. Roger Marshall for their work on behalf of the runway project.

“You put it all together, it was just an incredible effort,” he said. “I don’t know how we could have got more people working more quickly to keep this door open for the city.”

The total cost of the taxiway renovation will be $373,000, 90 percent of which will be funded by the FAA. The city has already allocated $37,300 in its 2019 budget to cover its share of the cost.

In other business:

A directive was approved to allow the Ellsworth Fire Chief to issue permits to burn trash in the city. Under the measure, the chief may delegate this authority to other members of the Fire Department.

City Attorney Patrick Hoffman said an Ellsworth City Ordinance had previously granted the city the authority to issue such permits. The directive simplifies the process so applicants don’t have to receive direct authorization by a vote of the council, Hoffman added.

Mayor Alan Stefek’s appointment of Rutika Bhakta to the Bed Tax and Tourism Committee was approved. She is the daughter of the owner of America’s Best Value Inn in Ellsworth.

Summers, Spencer and Company (SS&C) audited Ellsworth’s 2018 financial records and gave the city an unmodified opinion, the best rating provided by the organization. SS&C Senior Accountant Craig Dassow told the council that the city performed well during the audit.

Because of Columbus Day, the next meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 15, at city hall.

"I don’t know how we could have got more people working more quickly to keep this door open for the city."
Mike Olson
President, Kirkham Michael and Associates