Engineering fees reach limits for hangar project

By Brenda Tenboer
The South Big Horn County Airport near Greybull is slated to receive a nearly $1.5 million boost as a result of the federal stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama.
Grants Administrator Linda Harp said Tuesday that the county is awaiting a contract, but that the amount of $1,458,503 is confirmed.
Airport improvement projects also received an additional $43,000 in state funds. The county is required to kick in a match of $29,000, Harp told the commission at its regular meeting.
A $10 million project to build a new runway and create a taxiway is now in the works, according to GDA engineer John Wright.
Wright, in the absence of a county engineer, has primarily been responsible for overseeing construction and improvements at the airport.

Update
The county, while busy planning for future improvements at the airport, is now faced with a “use it or lose it” situation as it reaches the end of the cycle for previous grant funds.
The airport board working in conjunction with B&G Industries Inc. co-owner Karl Bertagnole voted recently to accept plans drawn by GDA that will allow roughly $600,000 to be used by the end of the grant cycle.
The plan is modular meaning GDA can make adjustments to the plans to allow all the remaining grant money to be used.
“The version they picked includes asphalt roads, gravel roads, gravel parking lot and cement out from the hangar for drainage,” Wright said.
“The problem we’re running into is that we don’t have a contract between the county and GDA,” Wright told the commissioners.
Wright said that the limit of 20 percent of the grant money has been reached for engineering fees and that somehow, the final 30 to 90 days of construction still needs to be managed by an engineer.
“If I stay out there through GDA for 90 days you’re talking about $100,000,” he said.
Wright said one solution is for the county to use the new county engineer to oversee the drainage project, once one is hired.
“Dusty (Spomer of GDA) said he has written off $70,000 in billing for work on the water line,” Wright said.
The bids for the final round of improvements are due to be opened March 17, according to Wright.
The county now has eight applicants for the county engineer position, which has been vacant since Ken Fink retired last year and many others have expressed interest, according to County Clerk Dori Noyes.