Organizers praise Avenger Field event; resident asks council to fix dangerous Grape Street intersection

During the meeting’s public comment period, event organizer Adam Blyde and local resident Jason Kittleson addressed the council.

Adam Blyde described the October "Turbine and Tumbleweed" event at Avenger Field as a success for the local flying community. "We brought in, over 35 pilots from 4 different states," Blyde said, and reported the event included "well over a hundred airplanes" across the pilots, with 39 room nights (averaging about $84 per night) and approximately $2,500 spent at local restaurants. He recounted four incidents among club aircraft — two hard landings and two total losses — including one fire quickly controlled by the event’s fire suppression team. Blyde asked the council to place a request to reserve the same weekend next year on a future agenda.

Jason Kittleson, who gave his address as 607 West Sixth Street, requested the installation or modification of a traffic control device at several intersections on Grape Street, citing a history of accidents at intersections with West Third, Fourth and Fifth streets. He said he had submitted a request to city staff but had not received a response and asked council to consider action to improve safety.

The mayor thanked both speakers and indicated staff or the council would follow up; no formal action on the traffic request was taken during the meeting.