Infrastructure work continues at the Allen County airport, including installation of water and sewer lines as part of a project that could eventually encourage development of an industrial park.
Allen County Commissioners helped move the project along Tuesday morning by approving a change order for the location of a fire hydrant. The change order comes at a cost of $20,440. The original proposed location of the hydrant was too far from the apron and airport facilities, according to Public Works Director Mitch Garner. The revised location will place the hydrant 40 feet north of the edge of the apron, and 40 feet west of the drive leading to the apron. The change order also includes redirecting the proposed water line to the hydrant’s new location.
Jared Wheeler, Thrive Economic Developer, said it will take about a week to receive the necessary equipment to make the changes, and from there “go really quickly.”
The new water line runs along Minnesota Road and is currently being installed by Bennett Inc., of Lamar, Mo.
With Commissioner Jerry Daniels absent, commissioners David Lee and Bruce Symes approved the order.
Garner added that Nowak Construction, of Goddard, also continues work on the new sewer line at the airport.
Also at the airport, commissioners approved the low bid of $10,155.29 from KJ Electrical Contracting LLC of Yates Center to replace overhead service wire with new underground services in two hangars, as well as the removal of old wiring.
IN OTHER NEWS, Emergency Management Director Jason Trego presented the commission with the county’s emergency mitigation plan, a once-every-five-years process.
Trego explained a private company will collect local input and create a list of action items for Allen County. “It’s a list of items that our county wants to do, if we had the muscles to do them,” he said. “And when grant opportunities come up, we can address those items in our mitigation plan.”
After Lee asked whether Allen County acts as an umbrella for all communities within, Trego clarified that each city and school district has to adopt the mitigation plan on their own. With this, Lee and Symes approved the mitigation plan.
