Posted: 7/31/07
Jet fuel will be available at
Houston County Airport
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
Coining a phrase from the movie "A Field of Dreams," Houston County Commissioner Tom Bjerke said "if people know we have jet fuel, people will fly through our area, stop and fuel up and get a chance to see what Houston County is like. It could be an economic opportunity for us. We have the tank, so why not use it?"
Bjerkeís comments followed a request by John Benton of the County Airport Commission to have jet fuel available at the county airport near Caledonia. He made the request at the July 24 county board meeting.
Benton explained the county has a 3,000-gallon tank at the airport for jet fuel, which is actually highly refined kerosene. Small jets and turbo-prop planes use this type of fuel. Because the pumping system will not pump fuel if the tank gets below 260 gallons, Benton requested authorization to purchase $2,000.
When asked what the highly refined kerosene was selling for, Benton indicated it had been $2.79.
"At that price, maybe we could start using it in our law enforcement cars and our new boat," Commissioner Dave Corcoran joked.
A motion by Bjerke and seconded by Corcoran to authorize the airport commission to purchase 2,000 gallons of jet fuel was unanimously approved.
In other action:
Tax abatements revised
Following a public hearing, the county board approved revised tax abatements for three properties in the county.
According to County EDA Director Joyce Iverson an error was made in property tax projections when abatement applications were being done for Winona Controls and K Properties in Caledonia and the Loken Sawmill Inn in Houston. The software program used to make the applications subtracted the improvements from the land values a second time, which flawed the final numbers.
Iverson requested K Properties tax abatement limit be raised from $8,500 to $10,000; Winona Controls from $10,000 to $12,500; and Loken Sawmill Inn from $25,000 to $30,300.
What to do with old boat?
Sheriff Doug Ely informed the county board the new patrol boat for the Sheriffís Department had arrived. As of July 24, it was being lettered and all the salvageable equipment from the old county boat was being installed on the new one.
The future of the old boat was then discussed. Ely asked if the board wanted to have the boat stored for the winter or get sealed bids on it now.
Bjerke felt, since it was nearing the end of the boating season, it might be better to store the 17-year-old boat and try to sell it in the spring. "We might get a better price then," Bjerke said.
Ely countered that the boat is a 1990 model and getting older by the minute. He pointed out the county had to spend $2,200 this past spring just to get it running.
Bjerke then suggested the county try advertising the boat on eBay, or some other on-line selling service.
Commissioner Larry Connery questioned if there might be some regulations about selling the boat, especially if the county had purchased it through some type of a grant. No action was taken on the matter. County staff will review the possibility some type of grant program was used to acquire the boat.
Highway building committee
County Highway Engineer Marcus Evans presented the board with a roster of names to be named to a committee being created to oversee the development and construction of a new highway department building.
The current building, located at 1124 East Washington, is nearing the end of its usefulness. The county will be reviewing various locations and building designs and is creating a committee that will do much of the leg work. The committee included: Evans, County Commissioner Connery, Dave Hanifl (District 1), Steve Erickson (District 2), Mike Gerardy (District 3), Leland Schulze (District 4), Tom Kampschroer (District 5), and Terry Botcher (township representative).
Caledonia Argus
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E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com