(Spirit Lake)– With the likelihood of any new airport being built anytime soon in Dickinson county highly unlikely, members of the Dickinson County Airport Authority say it’s time to start thinking about more long-term maintenance for the Spirit Lake Airport in Okoboji.
Representatives of the authority were at Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting. They didn’t have an immediate request for funding from the county, but Dean Hess who represents Okoboji on the authority told the supervisors they’ll be back to make a formal request.
Hess says they’ll be faced with some major maintenance items within the next five years, including things such as an overlay for the runway and repairs to lights.
The city of Spirit Lake recently voted to begin providing financial assistance to the airport after the authority announced it will no longer be charging tie-down fees so as to make the airport eligible for state grants.
Hess added they’ll have to look at some longer-range capital outlays, including the possibility of extending the runway further north and thinning and/or cutting out trees to the west of the runway to eliminate deer from getting onto the runway. Hess said pilots occasionally buzz the runway before landing to scare off deer.
