Mahaska County Supervisors Hear About Regional Airport
April 4th 2023
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Monday morning.
On their agenda was a presentation with the Iowa DOT Development Division.
In the public comments to begin the meeting, former SCRAA Board Member John Bandstra spoke. “I think there’s a couple things they should be aware of that they may not be aware of. Each time we pave over an acre of farmland, we make our food insecure.”
Bandstra then talked about the recent comprehensive plan passed by the Oskaloosa City Council that shows the entire regional airport as potentially within the city’s mile jurisdiction. “This will impact the purchase of real estate, both for bypass and for airports. The costs will rise significantly because this land, just by suggestion, is more valuable. Maybe it’s time for the DOT to consider the southeast connector and working in conjunction with Oskaloosa and Mahaska County and reduce costs support our business park reduced traffic on the square through turning traffic of highway 23 and 92.”
“As far as the airport I would ask you guys if you discuss that, too. Can you give us a justified quotation of why this airport is needed? It is my understanding that recently in Pella the rules for a class C airport have been reduced and Pella is no longer outside of the requirements.”
“We need an honest answer,” Bandstra said.
Stuart Anderson with the Iowa DOT and serves as the director of the Transportation Development Division. Tim McClung, who serves as the Aviation Director at the Iowa DOT, joined him.
Anderson said he hoped to share about the economic impacts of the aviation system in the State of Iowa and speak about their study completed in 2022.
Anderson said that some impacts are apparent, such as the eight airports that provide passenger flights that feed the United States and the rest of the World.
He went on to say there are other less obvious impacts, such as air cargo, military uses, medicine, and aerial applicators for ag land, among others, that help to serve 5 million acres of cropland.
Anderson explained that approximately 90,000 tons of cargo are hauled from Iowa’s airports.
“Aviation support for Iowa’s businesses may be the most significant economic activity from our aviation system. We have an estimated 166,000 Iowa-based employees that fly from Iowa’s commercial service airports on an annual basis, those employees earn approximately $10 billion in wages and support 25 billion of associated economic activity, Anderson said.
“That air service means business for Iowa companies and as a critical part of their operations. Whether using passenger air service cargo or general aviation support for Iowa businesses may be the most significant economic impact
of all. Over the course of our study that we undertook in 2022,” Anderson further explained.
“We have over 3000 aircraft in Iowa, registered in Iowa, and about 1100 of those are used directly for business,” said Anderson. “Those airports provide a critical means to access other parts of the Midwest, the country, and the World in a real timely manner.”
Mahaska County resident Nick Ryan asked the DOT representatives who had requested the presentation. Anderson said he believed the initial inquiry came from Oskaloosa Mayor Dave Krutzfeldt; he contacted the Mahaska County Supervisors to see if there was interest.
“That’s how we ended up here this morning,” Anderson said.
Several community members shared their opinions for and against the airport and what it may or may not do for the Mahaska County community.
You can view the entire meeting at the link below. https://www.mahaskacountyia.gov/board_of_supervisors/meetings/?bfplayvid=554789
