Miami County pursues KDOT-funded rehab of west hangar ramps; consultant engagement proposed

Miami County staff told commissioners on Sept. 3 they have an $850,000 Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) aviation grant to rehabilitate hangar aprons and the west taxi lane at Miami County Airport and proposed contracting Olsen and Associates to complete preliminary design and grant submittals.

A county staff member said KDOT’s grant covers $765,000 of the project and the county would provide a 10% local match, roughly $85,000. Staff described a proposed engagement letter with Olsen and Associates to perform preliminary design work and to submit materials to KDOT; the first portion of the consultant work shown in the packet was $68,700 and a separate part listed $8,200. A third element—construction engineering and on-site inspection—was described as a future task to be added to the agreement.

Staff said the rehabilitation will replace the asphalt on the airport's west side, where hangars and two aviation businesses operate. The county also discussed longer-term airport priorities, including a potential runway extension from 3,400 to 4,000 feet, which staff estimated as about a $2.1 million project and said would improve the airport’s ability to host larger aircraft and expand local maintenance businesses’ markets. Staff noted the airport is financed by fuel taxes, hangar leases and other operational revenue and described the airport as generally self-sufficient.

Commissioners asked about whether the apron work would interfere with proposed private hangar expansions and staff said the work would not affect existing building footprints. Staff also discussed federal funding efforts tied to runway extension grants and ongoing communications with Senator Moran’s and local representatives’ offices. No final contract award for Olsen was recorded during the study session; staff sought direction to proceed with consultant engagement and subsequent construction engineering work.