GLENWOOD SPRINGS — A state aviation grant is being sought to pay for $400,000 in needed runway improvements at the Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport.
However, the city’s appointed airport board will need to find a way to come up with the 10 percent match that would be required to accept the Colorado Aviation Fund grant, should it be awarded.
Airport board members indicated in a recent meeting with the Glenwood Springs City Council seeking its support for the grant proposal that they could raise the $40,000 independently among airport users.
Council members, while supporting the grant request, also made it clear that the airport, as a city enterprise fund, should not expect any city general fund support in coming up with the matching dollars.
Glenwood Springs Mayor Leo McKinney said there is some “trepidation” on the part of council in supporting the grant, given the airport’s already uncertain budget situation heading into next year.
“That is a large amount of money, and we just wanted to make sure the city wouldn’t be on the hook if the airport can’t meet its future obligations [to the grant terms],” McKinney said.
McKinney, who has been critical of the airport’s fiscal situation for some time, said the single-runway, small-aircraft facility has done well to maintain the runway for several years with temporary repairs and minor maintenance.
But it is due to be repaved, and the grant application appears to be the best means to make that happen, he said.
He emphasized, though, that the airport needs to focus on ways to bring more revenues into its coffers.
The proposed 2014 city budget projects a $36,000 shortfall in the airport enterprise fund, although the airport board has said it expects fuel sales to make up some of that difference.
Fuel sales account for the biggest portion of the airport’s estimated $133,500 in annual revenues, and are budgeted at $92,500 for this year. Sales came in at about $102,000 in 2012, according to airport revenue figures from the city.
Expenses are projected to be $169,664 in 2014, leaving a potential $36,000 shortfall based on anticipated airport revenues.
http://www.postindependent.com/news/8894856-113/airport-grant-glenwood-springs