Commissioners plan airport grand opening

The Hot Springs County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday began laying the final groundwork for the new Hot Springs County Airport opening, planned for November 7.

The three-hour meeting was dedicated to reviewing final steps for the completion of the airport, and featured discussions about the third and final coat of seal and paint on the runway, which will occur on September 21-22, fuel tank procurement, updates on the SRE building, and the possibility of renting a fuel truck from a nearby county airport for the first 3-6 months of operation until the airport can buy a truck of its own.

Among primary concerns for the commissioners Tuesday was the closing date for the old airport, which was tentatively set at December 1.

Commissioners were concerned about paying for the upkeep of two airports and the problems that would arise during winter, like plowing the airstrip. Commissioners also were concerned about the old airport’s tenants being able to fly out of the runway during the move from airport to airport. Winter is coming, the board noted, and tenants could possibly be trapped by forthcoming storms.

The commissioners, while setting a tentative date for the opening of the new airport, decided not to pick a food for the grand opening, although it appears platters of sandwiches and other finger foods will be on the menu on November 7.

The commissioners approved licenses for two Hot Springs residents, Cynthia Ellison and Clyde Fisher, as well as opening a bid for the ADA bathroom remodeling, which came in at $6,840. The commissioners decided to continue to search for a suitable bid on the project.

One of the final acts of the meeting was the declaration of September 17-23, 2015 as Constitution Week in Hot Springs County.