| Today's Feature Dunaway Backs Off.
Council member Art Dunaway
backed away from his stand on increasing the
committed funding for a new airport during last
Wednesday’s Budget Hearings. Dunaway, who
voted for raising the City’s airport funding
from $300,000 to $500,000 Monday in Budget
meetings and again on Tuesday in the regular
Council session, suggested reducing the amount by
$100,000 on Wednesday. No vote was taken on the
matter Wednesday, but the total of $400,000 was
used for calculations during the meeting.
During the Monday evening
meeting Mike Harris moved for the increase and a
vote was taken passing 2-1 with Committee Chair
Boyer voting against. Committee member Donna
Harlan, who was out of town, was not present. If
Dunaway sticks to this suggested position, it
would still take a Budget Committee vote to
reverse Monday’s official action to increase
the airport funding for the 1998-99 budget year.
If Harlan, who has been a long time airport
supporter, votes with Harris in Committee, the
resulting 2-2 tie would block any attempts to
reduce the Committee’s official
recommendation of $500,000.
Any recommendations by the
Budget Committee require approval of the full
Council.
In a separate but related
action during the Tuesday Council meeting, Harris
moved to amend Council Bill 98-36 to raise the
current $300,000 airport set-aside to $500,000,
eliminate the clause that required that a 90%
grant be obtained before the funds could be
spent, and extend the time for relocation from up
to five years to up to ten years. The Council
voted 7-2 to approve the Harris amendment. Harlan
was not present. That amended ordinance will come
before the Council for second reading at the next
regular meeting on May 26.
The overwhelming support shown
by the Council for the Harris amendment would
indicate the bill would still have the required
majority of six votes to pass next meeting. If
Harlan weighs in as expected, the softening of
the Dunaway position would be of little
consequence.
The actions of the Budget
Committee will have significance because the
budget year ends June 30. Even with the Harris
amendment in place, the funds would still have to
be approved for next year’s budget.
One of the reasons the funds
for new airport property isconsidered important
is the belief that if significant commitment by
the City is made, litigation pending against the
City concerning the closure of Myers Memorial
Park Airport may be stopped.
Economic Development Director
Max McKnight says buyer interest in the property
is at its highest level at this time, but the
litigation is a concern for potential buyers of
the Myers Park property.
"For most of them, it is
just kind of inconvenient," said McKnight,
"the not knowing. They are all aware that
it’s going on and wonder what ramifications
they might have on getting a clear title. They
are thinking that if nothing will be decided
before the October bid openings, maybe this will
be cleared up in the mean time and we can carry
on. It’s like they call it, it is kind of a
cloud. (They wonder) ‘could I start building
on it soon, or would I have to wait until all
this is settled?’ It’s a concern. Not
necessarily a big deal breaker, but it is a
concern."
If the Council gives the go
ahead to pursue the purchase of new airport
property and it could be acquired at a reasonable
cost, McKnight sees a fairly short time line for
the airport relocation.
"I feel like there is
strong Council support right now to carry the
project on, " says McKnight.
"The most optimistic
estimate is a couple of years. To have a grass
runway, have the land bought. I’d say
optimistic and realistic. I would say some of the
other things, hangers and such, could probably
take place during that time too. Possibly three
to five years to get lighting and those type of
improvements."
Carthage Student Receives
Scholarship
Carthage High School Senior,
Sara Mayo, was recently accepted into the Honors
College at Southwest Missouri State University
and, in addition, awarded the Presidential
Scholarship by the university.
SMSU only makes 40 Presidential
Scholarships available to each incoming freshman
class. This year SMSU selected 181 students to
interview for the forty Presidential Scholarships
based on records of academic excellence, the
scholarship application, and an essay. The
scholarship covers all costs of attending SMSU
for a four year degree so long as enrollment and
grade point average requirements are met.
In addition, Sara will receive
a Bright Flight scholarship award from the State
of Missouri. Sara is the daughter of Mark and
Sherry Mayo of Carthage.
Carthage R-9 Carpentry Class to
Hold Open House
The Vocational Carpentry
classes of the Carthage Technical Center will
conduct an open house Sunday, May 17,1998. The
public is invited to view the home constructed by
the classes at 2250 Alison Street from 2 - 5 p.m.
The home consists of 2,008 square feet of living
space, attached two car garage with 567 square
feet, three bedrooms, two baths, kitchen, utility
room, dining room, covered patio, and living room
with fireplace. The house has Andersen windows
throughout. The floors have wall to wall
carpeting except in the entry, kitchen, utility
and bath areas.
All bids must be in the office
of the Superintendent of Schools, 714 S. Main
Street, Carthage, by 12:00 noon, Monday, June 22,
1998. Interested persons may arrange to see the
house or to receive further details by calling
359-7025 between the hours of 7:30 am. and 3:30
p.m.
Mr. Rod Hendrickson is the
Vocational Carpentry Instructor. Members of the
carpentry classes for the 1997-98 school year are
Ryan Wooldridge, Justin Stark, Nathan Olinger,
Tim Bentz, Nathan Davis, Marshall Fosdick,
Richard Fuget, Josh Hill, Scotty Hoenshell, and
Tim Lanyon.
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