Ready for takeoff? County seeking input on $2 million airport reclamation

During the Eddy County Commission's regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 1, New Rockford Commission President Stu Richter presented a multi-million dollar plan to "reclaim" Tomlinson Field.

It wasn't the first time Richter had appeared before the commission to discuss the local airport, but it was the first time county commissioners seemed particularly receptive to the proposal.

Previously, Richter had approached the commission about plans to rebuild the airport's hangar, which was blown away in a 2018 straight-line wind storm. However, on this occasion he told commissioners that the plan to replace the hangar has been scrapped.

The new plan, he said, is to focus on the airport's runway. Any farmers interested in doing so could then sign a lease and construct their own hangar, similar to the way other local airports currently operate.

The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission (NDAC) – a government body tasked with supporting and ensuring the safety of aviation activities in the state – conducted an inspection of Tomlinson Field on Saturday, June 29, and has recommended a full "reclamation" of the runway and taxiway.

A report prepared by the NDAC goes in depth about their findings and multiple other recommendations for the airport.

Among them are problems with tall crops located inside the runway protection zone (RPZ), hazardous pavement damage, exposed foundation, and an inadequate lighting system, just to name a few.

Richter told commissioners that the estimated cost of the project is just over $2.1 million. He also noted, however, that the estimate is only preliminary and believes the ultimate cost could be closer to $1.9 million.

Included within the $2.1 million estimate are the following:

• $1,302,050 for a "full-depth reclamation" of the runway and taxiway;

• $225,200 for reshaping and grading the runway safety area;

• $397,917.50 for apron reconstruction and taxiway extensions;

• $35,000 for improvements to the access road;

• $142,832.50 for other costs such as construction engineering and basic services.

Richter said the NDAC is fully in favor of the reclamation project and would likely cover between 60 and 70 percent of the project's cost, which would equate to over $1.22 million or as much as $1.47 million.

The remaining cost would then be somewhere between $700,000 and $900,000 – which Richter says the city can't afford on its own.

His proposal to the commission was that the remaining cost gets split by Eddy County and the City of New Rockford, and there's a couple different ways they could do that.

Currently, Tomlinson Field is owned by the city, but the county and city could take joint ownership of the airport, similar to how the county and city currently have joint ownership of the Eddy-New Rockford Public Library.

However, that option would require a petition and a subsequent ballot measure in a future election.

The other option for the county would be to levy taxes to help pay for the project.

Eddy County State's Attorney Ashley Lies said she'll do some research into the county's options, but before making any concrete moves, commissioners want to hear from the county's residents, and encouraged anyone with thoughts on the project to reach out with comments and questions.

As it stands, the commission seemed receptive to the idea of helping the city in a joint mission to revitalize the airport, which hasn't recovered from that infamous 2018 wind storm.

"I do believe that our county should be helping out a little bit here," said Commissioner Jamie Allmaras. "I really do."

The county's auditor, Patty Williams, added that she feels more comfortable about the county helping fund the project knowing the plan is to address the runway rather than a hangar, to which each commissioner appeared to agree.

"It benefits everybody, whether it be an Eddy County resident or somebody that's learning to fly and using it for touch-and-gos or whatever," said Commissioner Dave Gehrtz about the runway.

"We need it pursued, but we need input from our county also," added Gehrtz. "... I really think that's the right way to start about moving forward."

For those with comments about the proposed project, Commissioner Glenda Collier can be reached at [email protected], or (701) 302-0023. Commissioner Dave Gehrtz can be reached at [email protected], or (701) 302-0356. And Commissioner Jamie Allmaras can be reached at [email protected] or (701) 652-5915.

Before leaving, Richter noted that he would likely only need a letter of commitment from the county to begin the process of obtaining funding from the state, and the sooner that process begins the more likely they are to receive more funding, he said.

In the short term, however, there won't be any tax increases from the county for potential airport renovations in 2024, as the preliminary budget the commissioners approved at Tuesday's meeting did not include the project.

Though not yet final, the number of mills approved in that preliminary budget cannot increase before the final budget is approved later this year. They can only decrease, meaning any financial commitment to help pay for airport renovations will have to wait until the 2025 budget.

The number of mills approved for the coming year is expected to go up, however, increasing from 97.62 for 2023 to 101.78 mills for 2024. The increase largely stems from the number of mills assessed for capital projects, which was approved at 5.50 for 2023, but would increase to 10 mills for 2024 if approved in the final budget.

Commissioners increased the mills for that line item to begin saving for future road projects.

A public budget hearing has been scheduled for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3, and the deadline for a final budget to be approved is Oct. 10.

The next regular county commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 8:30 a.m. in the Eddy County Courthouse.