Improvements on tap for airport, library seeking grants

A multitude of topics were discussed at the City of Grant council meeting on Tuesday, July 27. 

With budget time approaching, many governing boards are working on their 2021-22 budgets, with hearings coming within the next few weeks. 

In unfinished business, the council took action on approving change order request No.4 for the swimming pool facility. This entailed moving the controller for acid and chlorine levels in the pool to a more convenient location, as well as adding more parking on the east side of the pool. 

Roughly 12 spots will be added with the addition of 6” of gravel on top of what is currently just dirt. This area was used this summer for additional parking. The hope is to ease a bit of the traffic and walking distance for some parking on the north side of the park on 9th St. 

Airport updates

The council also moved to approve M.C. Schaff as the consultant for the  medium duty asphalt roadway paving project at the Grant Municipal Airport. 

City Superintendent Edward Dunn commented that one of the biggest benefits of this was the use of said road for emergency crews and patients who need to be flown out. He said the current “bumpy” gravel road presents a challenge to emergency personnel when trying to keep a patient stable. 

Further action was made on the Grant Airport with the council approving the recommendation of the Airport Advisory Board to approve the contract with WJR, Inc., DBA Robinson Electric for the construction of an AWOS (Automated Weather Observation Station). 

Concrete will be poured in August for the AWOS system. If all goes well, the new station could be up by October. However, there are several things that must happen by then, Dunn said, noting that implementation of the system could be delayed until possibly December. 

Council approved the FBO (fixed base operator) lease with Ryan Flaming currently of Montana, on a six-month probationary period. Flaming will be in charge of important general maintenance of the airport. 

Library budget 

Library Board President Brenda Styskal was present to deliver to the council their proposed budget for the 2022 year. 

Styskal emphasized that the budget may look like it jumped significantly but offered ample explanation. 

Aside from the rise in costs of living expenses, like health insurance, that are out of the control of the library board, they would also like to apply for several “once-in-a-lifetime” grants that will become available due to the COVID pandemic. 

The proposed budget for grant money went from $22,500 in 2021 to $40,000 for 2022. 

The grants can only be applied for (and spent) if they are budgeted, which will require the acceptance of council on the higher proposed budget. 

Styskal and Library Director Robin Quinn explained that the grants they are seeking are 100% grants, meaning there is no money coming from the city or library itself to receive the funds. 

Quinn explained one of the grants would provide all new computers at the library, which she said is “unheard of.”

The total proposed budget increase was 18.4% increase with over 12% of it being grant money. 

“If we don’t try to capture these, someone else will,” Styskal said of the grant money. “We’d really like to take advantage of these and do great things with them,” she said. 

No action was taken. However, Mayor Lisa Schmitt recommended to the council to keep the franchise fees, not the budget as a whole, at the current level, with no increase. 

Currently, the library receives $116,653 in franchise fees, generated by the electrical system. They are seeking an increase to $127,338.

Schmitt offered ways to cut costs in the budget in lieu of raising the franchise fee asking. 

“There are hours that can be fluxed, or just staggering employee hours, and there are some other numbers that have been reviewed as eligible to be cut, and some programs that can be retired or rotated,”Schmitt said.  

Schmitt also pointed out that the library budget does not include funds provided by the county or the library or community foundations, and though they aren’t required to be included, she felt as though it left a hole in the “big picture” and feels there is a “non-transparent issue” in that. 

Styskal thanked the council for their time and feedback, and said the board would do their best in making their revisions. The library board will host a special budget meeting tonight, Aug. 4, at 5:15 p.m. before presenting council with any revisions on their budget at the regular council meeting on Aug. 10. 

NUISANCE PROPERTIES

Of 62 nuisance letters that went out to citizens, 45 properties were cleared. Four properties were given extension letters and two properties were posted. 

Properties declared a nuisance at the July 27 meeting were: 504 Washington Ave., 504 Logan Ave., 236 Logan Ave., 116 East 2nd St., and 528 Washington Ave. 

Council approved a 30-day extension at 143 and 149 Washington Ave., and a 90-day extension to 428 Hwy. 23. 

Abatement was approved for 545 Central Ave.