Airport Authority Approves Budget

The Sidney Airport Authority Board meet Sept. 10, approving its budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

The budget shows actual disbursements and transfers increasing from $335,485.51 for the 2018-2019 fiscal year to $720,912.76 for the 2019-2020 fiscal year and regressing a little more than $94,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year to $626,599.96. The proposed budget includes cash reserves of $1,873.89, funds from personal and real property tax of $159,449, carryover from the current fiscal year of $36,057.70 and total resources amounting to $628,473.85.

The board also met with Jeff Wolfe, of the M.C. Schaff engineering company from Scottsbluff. Wolfe met with the board to discuss future improvement projects and how to move ahead within federal funding and requirements. The projects discussed in the last meeting were runway markings and pavement repairs.

“No matter what you do, when you use federal funds, the cost is abnormally high,” Wolfe said.

He said there is a minimum amount of paperwork regardless if the project is $50,000 or $5 million.

“We're done with our part,” Wolfe said.

He said the airport board is now waiting on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Wolfe stressed the need at the Sidney Airport is not paving, but repair. He said there are four areas, including spots that were struck by lightning. He said the airport's pavement is rated “really well.”

The work would require the main runway to be closed about two weeks. When discussing the runway, Wolfe said the standards are much higher for a runway than for highway paving.

“Aircraft safety is completely different than highway safety,” he said.

In other business, George Lapaseotes of L & L Aviation reported fuel consumption as near the 2019 rates, landing counts were down in July but improved in August.

The board also discussed board vacancies.

The November meeting of the Airport Authority Board is being postponed. Western Nebraska Community College will not be hosting a fly-in this year.