By Michael Howell
At its November 21 meeting, the Stevensville Town Council approved a couple of grant applications to the Montana Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division, both related to a future Airport Runway Reconstruction project.
One was a grant request for $6,200 which would meet half the local match requirements for a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration covering the cost of an Environmental Assessment for a future runway reconstruction project. The full cost of the EA is estimated at $124,000. The FAA will cover $111,600 of that cost, leaving a local match of $12,400. Half of the local match costs would be met by this Montana Aeronautics grant and the Town would cover the remaining $6,200.
The other grant request is for $8,325 to cover half the local match for the design of the Airport Runway. The full cost of that is estimated at $166,500. The FAA would cover $149,850 and the Town and Montana Aeronautics would each cover half the local match, the total of which is $16,650.
The entire runway reconstruction project is being phased in with the EA done in 2013, the final engineering design in 2014, the earthwork for the runway extension in 2015, and the widening and extension of the whole runway would be completed in 2016.
The Council also approved a contract amendment on the Taxi-lane Extension project which is currently under way. The $8,304.07 in additional costs was related to engineering costs which occurred due to the contractor’s failure to complete a portion of the project on time and will be compensated for by reducing the contractor’s payments.
The Town has approved a $16,557 loan with Montana Aeronautics for the Taxi-lane Extension project at 1.625%. Mayor Gene Mim Mack noted that the loan payments all come from the airport revenues and not from the Town’s general funds. The Town has also agreed to accept a $2,000 grant from Montana Aeronautics for the purchase of a courtesy car to be used as a loaner vehicle for airport visitors.
The Council also appointed John Kellogg to serve on the Town’s Planning and Zoning Board. The previous week the Ravalli County Commissioners rejected a recommendation from the Mayor to appoint Darwin Ernst to serve as the county representative on the Town’s Planning and Zoning Board. Instead, the Board of Commissioners appointed Commissioner Greg Chilcott to serve on the Town’s Planning and Zoning Board.