If words were actions, Gardner would have a KCI-type airport in place of the city’s municipal airport.
Since taking Gardner Municipal Airport over in January 2016, untold hours have been spent discussing the airport’s future, although little action has been taken to improve or maintain the property.
According to the Aug. 20 city council meeting minutes, a report document prepared for the council by “Lee Moore’s spouse,” provided a timeline of council input regarding GMA. The document was reviewed by the city council and obtained under the Kansas Open Records Act.
According to the report, in Sept. 2015, Laura Gourley, finance director, said the condition of the airport building was a concern, and said the staff was not holding out on the project, but more concerned with setting priorities.
According to the reviewed document, it doesn’t indicate council members addressed building concerns again until Aug. 2017 when Michael Kramer, director, told council about sanitary sewer issues.
A porta potty was set at GMA in April 2016 when Kramer determined the septic system had failed.
Council has been discussing the GMA toilet since then; and according to the Aug. 13 airport advisory board minutes, a construction survey for an 8 inch PVC sanitary sewer to be gravity flow and located on the north side of 175th St, has been completed. Funds for the project will be available in 2019.
(Read more: Gardner News)