Sedgwick County approves MOU to pursue shared hangar with Kansas Highway Patrol at Jabara Airport

The Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners voted 4–1 on June 16 to approve a memorandum of understanding with the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) to pursue construction of a shared hangar at Jabara Airport in Wichita.

Colonel Eric Smith, superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol, told the commission the agency has flown about 1,400 hours statewide in 2025, with roughly one‑quarter of that activity (about 328.8 hours) inside Sedgwick County. He said state investments in aircraft left the patrol with a need for improved facilities and that Cook Airfield’s taxiways, apron configuration and instrument approach limitations made it an impractical long‑term solution. "It became clear to me that the facility at Cook Airfield was not going to best meet and be a good steward of those investments," he said.

Sheriff Easter said the county’s single aircraft is used daily for extraditions and other missions and described recent maintenance costs; he noted the KHP had offered certified mechanic labor to the county as part of the proposed arrangement. "They offered that mechanic services for free to us," the sheriff said, describing that as a potential ongoing offset to county maintenance expenses.

County staff and the sheriff’s office said the planned building would total about 21,550 square feet, with approximately 78% of space intended for KHP use and 22% for the county. Lindsey Powers, the county’s CFO, presented a fiscal analysis showing estimated county costs of about $184,000 a year before offsets; after accounting for maintenance offsets already realized, the net county cost in one scenario was about $102,000 annually. Staff also noted grant options that could reduce the county share, including $1.5 million and $750,000 scenarios presented during the discussion.

Several commissioners pressed for stronger assurances from the state before endorsing county financial exposure. One commissioner said, "We're not gonna spend a penny on this if we don't have a contract with the state of Kansas and we're committed to Sedgwick County for 20 years," and asked that the county be made whole or that the arrangement be made revenue neutral. County legal staff and counsel said the MOU is a nonbinding statement of intent intended to precede a binding lease and that state agreements typically include language contingent on annual legislative appropriations, which limits the state's ability to provide a 20‑year statutory guarantee.

Supporters of the proposal said shared ownership could lower long‑term costs and improve public‑safety operations by consolidating maintenance, reducing redundant facilities and improving the availability of law enforcement aviation across agencies. Opponents cautioned about added debt burden, potential impacts to county bond ratings and the limits of the MOU’s legal protections.

After discussion, the commission approved the MOU to begin formal discussions and next steps toward a lease and, eventually, binding agreements. The motion passed 4–1. The county next expects staff to pursue any available grants, continue negotiations on lease language and return with recommended contract terms before the county would issue debt or otherwise commit funds.