By Staff
Leada Gore, Hartselle Enquirer
The owner of a corporate jet is offering to foot the bill to provide a home for his plane at the Hartselle Municipal Airport.
Roger Minor, owner of Minor Tires, is currently using an existing airport hangar to house his plane in Hartselle. He’s offering to build a 60- foot by 60-foot building to house the plane. He would pay for the construction and then deed the building over to the city in return for a $1-a-year 30-year lease.
City officials said they would like to sit down with Minor to discuss the plans but most seemed to like the idea.
Airport operator Stoney Powell is also asking the council to allow him to construct a tank to hold jet fuel. Powell would pay for the construction.
City Attorney Larry Madison was asked to draw up an agreement on the tank. The tank construction would also have to meet a series of building code and safety requirements.
There are other changes in store at the airport as well.
The city is applying for a $146,000 grant to put up fencing around the airport and electronic gates at the entrance. The city would be required to provide a local match of $3,650 but some of that money could come from the state.
The city has also reapplied for two other grants: a $154,000 one for runway lighting and a $645,250 one construction of 15 hangar units. The city would be required to provide $3,850 for the lighting project and $16,131 for the hangar project.
If Minor’s project is approved, however, the cost of that project could decline as the new hangar will provide some of that space.