December was the month when people compiled lists of items they wanted for Christmas. Also finalizing a list last month was the city of Hannibal’s Airport Advisory Board. But rather than Santa Claus, the list approved by that group was sent to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The airport’s Capital Improvement Program list, which projects the airport’s needs from 2015-2020, consists of 11 items. Each has been issued a national priority ranking (NPR), ranging from zero to 100. Hannibal’s projects range from a 64 for an update of the airport layout plan and to pay for an environmental assessment to a 41 for a wildlife fence.

“It isn’t that a fence isn’t important. It’s just expensive,” said George Walley, chairman of the Advisory Board.

The estimated cost of fencing that would encircle the entire airport is $500,000. And while it is anticipated that $450,000 of the cost would be covered by federal dollars, it would still leave the city having to come up with a $50,000 match. Some or all of that cost might be taken from the $150,000 allotted Hannibal Regional Airport annually by the federal government through its nonprimary entitlement program (NPE).

The city will be using remaining NPE funds from 2009, 2010 and 2011 to pay the $15,000 local match to repair apron and taxiway concrete joints this year. The remainder of the $300,000 cost to fix the joints and repaint the apron and taxiway will be covered by federal dollars.

Five of the 11 items on the local airport’s funding request list have to do with the city’s desire to see the runway extended from 4,400 to 5,000 feet.

Heading the list are the update of the airport layout plan (ALP) and the environmental assessment. Both are slated to take place this year. The revision to the ALP will cost $150,000 while the fee for an environmental study is $100,000. The local match for both projects will total $25,000. The local dollars will come from NPE funds received by the city in 2011 and 2012.

The remaining items include the acquisition of necessary air space and land easements, the grading for the runway extension and the extension of the runway and parallel taxiway. Each project carries a ranking of 50 on the priority scale.

The acquisition of easements is tentatively planned to occur in 2015. The grading would follow in 2016 with the paving taking place in 2017.

The runway extension’s final three steps carry an estimated price tag of $6.3 million. The total local match would amount to $630,000.