The city of Poplar Bluff plans to use COVID-relief money to reduce the liability for lawsuits at the regional airport.
City council members discussed Monday the need to reduce “predator habitat” near runways at the Poplar Bluff Regional Business Airport.
In practical terms, according to airport manager Gary Pride, this will mean more frequent mowing is needed at the airport, which recently upgraded runways to allow larger aircraft to land. Bids were solicited for a tractor to help with this, which will be paid for out of American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Tall grass creates a habitat for mice and rabbits, which bring predators like chicken hawks and coyotes, Pride explained during the regular city council meeting.
The airport had previously allowed an individual to bale hay from the area surrounding the airport, including areas near the runways.
“There’s even been a successful lawsuit or two done where airports that were doing what we were doing, were sued by aircraft that struck predators on their departure,” Pride said. “They were found liable because they were creating a habitat for such things.”
Pride believes the airport’s current staff of three part-time and one full-time employee will be able to handle the mowing of the area near the runway.
The new equipment will have the additional benefits of being able to aid with snow removal and moving cargo, he said.
“This really fills a lot of voids for us,” Pride said. “Approximately 200 people a month step off those aircraft that are seeing Poplar Bluff for the first time. It will add to the beauty of the airport also, being able to keep (the area) manicured.”
The council is expected to vote Feb. 22 on bids for the equipment.
City manager Matt Winters and Pride have recommended the council purchase a John Deere tractor from Greenway Equipment of Poplar Bluff for a cost of $71,800.
This was the highest of the three bids, but offered the best warranty, Winters said.
The equipment is otherwise identical, Pride said.
Bids were also received from Baker Implement at $68,580 for a Kubota and $70,330 from Baker Implement for a Case IH.
All of the items were bid to include a bushhog, blade, forks and front end loader.
The John Deere comes with a warranty that is two years longer than either the Case or Kubota, according to Pride.
In other business, the council discussed a net metering policy for Municipal Utilities, which must be approved annually. The policy establishes procedures for customers who generate their own power through alternative means.
This number has doubled in the past year, said Bill Bach, general manager. In 2020, the utility had six customers who qualified for the net metering policy and that number climbed to 15 in 2021.
In 2021, the utility received 14,743 kilowatt hours from customer generators, compared to just over 1,000 kilowatt hours the previous year.
Council members also discussed Municipal Utility plans to destroy antiquated records, following regulations set by stat statute, and updating ordinances regarding to the gross receipts tax collected from telecommunication companies in order to conform with Missouri law.
The antiquated records include items as old as 1984 miscellaneous correspondence files and as recent as 2017 gasoline logs.
Telecommunication companies currently pay gross receipts taxes at 5%, Winters said, which is regulated by state statute. Poplar Bluff statutes record an amount of 2.2% and need to be updated to reflect the correct amount, he said. This will be a voting item at the next council meeting.
In a city manager’s report, Winters praised street department workers for their efforts to clear ice and snow from roads.
“Having as much sleet as we had is a completely different animal,” Winters said. “They’ve been hard at it for the last few days, trying to get the ice scraped down.”