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Commissioners greenlight FAA grant filings for county's 12-acre airport parcel while easement, stormwater costs remain unresolved
Summary
The board agreed to proceed with FAA grant applications to fund design and apron work on 12 county acres near the airport, while engineers continue negotiating a potential easement and the cost-sharing for a stormwater detention pond that would affect developable land and eligibility for federal/state reimbursement.
Commissioner Martin briefed the board on planned FAA grant applications tied to 12 acres the county purchased for airport development, saying the requests focus on design work for taxiways, connectors and preliminary apron improvements. The grants discussed would typically cover about 90% of eligible costs from the FAA, with approximately 5% expected from the county and 5% from the state.
Commissioners and staff cautioned that an outstanding easement request from War County Airport Limited (a private-party interest referenced in the discussion) and unresolved stormwater detention/retention arrangements remain unresolved. Engineers for both sides are computing whether a shared detention pond on private property would be preferable to siting a pond on the county's parcel; the outcome affects how much developable acreage the county would retain and whether federal or state reimbursement would apply to portions of the infrastructure.
Board members said they prefer moving ahead with the application filings before missing the July 1 submission deadline, while continuing negotiations about cost-sharing and easement terms. Commissioners noted the trade-off: building the county's own detention facility would preserve acreage eligible for future development and federal/state reimbursement but could duplicate infrastructure, whereas connecting to a private detention system could reduce developable acreage and require county payments to the private owner and forgo some reimbursements.
No formal vote on an easement or funding commitment was taken; staff said engineers will return with cost estimates and a recommendation for board action. The board directed staff to continue negotiating with the airport authority and the private engineer teams and to bring formal easement or agreement proposals back for a future meeting.
