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FAA agreement, several action items, public hearings slated for county board meeting

The Marquette County Board of Commissioners will hold a vote on an agreement between the Federal Aviation Administration and the Sawyer International Airport sponsor, Marquette County, at tonight’s regular board meeting. The agreement is for the FAA to schedule and perform a flight check to inspect new LED precision approach path indicator units, which will replace the old units. The airport will be rehabilitating and shortening the runway this summer, and replacing and repositioning other navigational aids, in addition to the precision approach path indicator units. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE — Several action items and two public hearings are on the agenda for the regular meeting of the Marquette County Board of Commissioners, which will be held at 6 tonight in room 231 of the Henry A. Skewis Annex, located at 234 W. Baraga Ave. in Marquette.

One action item on the agenda regards a non-federal reimbursable agreement between the county and the Federal Aviation Administration for $12,460.

This is related to runway and airfield improvements planned for the summer at Sawyer International Airport, in particular, the replacement of the existing precision approach path indicators with LED precision approach path indicator units.

The installation of the new LED units will require the FAA to inspect the new systems with a flight check. To schedule and perform the flight check, the FAA is required to enter into an agreement with the airport sponsor, Marquette County.

“This phase of the project is a stand-alone agreement between Marquette County and the FAA and requires a direct payment to the FAA’s flight check department. The cost for the flight check is estimated at $12,460.15 and will be credited to the local share of the project and any overpayment will be reimbursed back to Marquette County at the close of the Grant,” documents provided to the board state.

Besides the replacement of the precision approach path indicator units, the airport will be going through “very intensive construction” over the summer, with the runway undergoing “a full rehabilitation and shortening from 12,370 feet to 9,070 feet,” according to board documents.

With this runway reduction, some navigational aids will be replaced and repositioned, including the wind direction indicators, the rotating beacon, runway end identifier lights, as well as the aforementioned precision path indicators.

According to documents provided to the board, the staff recommendation is to pre-approve the agreement and authorize Marquette County Chairman Gerald Corkin to sign the agreement.

Two public hearings will also be held at the meeting.

One of the public hearings to be held is the closeout public hearing for the completion of the Blackrocks Brewery Michigan Community Development Block Grant.

During the closeout public hearing, a final report on the completion of the grant will be presented. It will also give citizens an opportunity to comment and provide feedback on the matter.

The other public hearing to be held regards the K.I. Sawyer Sanitary Sewer Use Ordinance Revision. According to documents provided to the board, the proposed update to the ordinance is to include and establish the new Industrial Pretreatment Plan.

The public hearing regarding the K.I. Sawyer Sanitary Sewer Use Ordinance Revision will provide the public an opportunity to comment and give feedback on the proposed ordinance revision.

The board will also vote on the approval of the K.I. Sawyer Sanitary Sewer Use Ordinance Revision at the meeting as an action item.

According to documents provided to the board, the K.I. Sawyer Wastewater Treatment is required by rule to have an Industrial Pretreatment Program and the “program requires industrial users that discharge to the system to comply with the program to limit the types and amount of contaminates in the discharge. Those industries not meeting the standards must pretreat their discharge.”

Goals of the program include preventing introduction of pollutants into publicly-owned treatment works, and protecting publically-owned treatment works personnel.

According to documents provided to the board, the revised ordinance and updated Industrial Pretreatment Plan have already been approved by the Michigan Department of Environmental quality, but by rule, the board must approve the revised ordinance of updated Industrial Pretreatment Program.

Other action items that the board will consider and vote upon during the meeting include:

≤ Purchase of a pickup truck for K.I. Sawyer Water/Waster Water Department.

≤ A request for the board to sign a letter of intent and subsequent application and acceptance for homemaker aid funding for the Upper Peninsula Community Action Program in fiscal year 2019.

≤ A written response to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources stating the County’s position on a proposed land transaction with the Ford River Company.

≤ A vehicle purchase recommendation for a building codes vehicle after proposals were received to replace the current code inspector’s vehicles.

≤ Signing landlord’s release and consent documents regarding Superior Extrusion Inc.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248.

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