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Council approves $180K in extra airport project costs

Project estimated at $3.1 million

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Plans are being made for the Marshalltown Municipal Airport five miles northwest of town.

The Marshalltown City Council approved 5-1 an additional $180,000 in expenses for an airport vault, a replacement hangar, terminal building and site expenses at the Marshalltown Municipal Airport at Monday night’s council meeting.

An airport vault houses critical electrical equipment for a beacon and runway lighting among other features.

City public works director Justin Nickel said extra costs were due to a joint public works department and Marshalltown-based CGA Consultant’s decision to relocate the hangar and terminal from the original location.

Nickel and CGA had originally planned to place the new hangar and terminal where the existing hangar and terminal stand.

“How did we miss this,” councilor at-large Gary Thompson asked of Nickel. “This is a 15 percent overrun.”

T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY CGA consultant Mike Riordan responds to a question about airport project expenses from a city councilor at Monday’s meeting.

Nickel said his department and CGA looked at alternatives to original placement.

“By relocating, there will not be a need for temporary facilities,” Nickel said. “As we have said before, when you move to a different location and start digging in the earth, you never know what you will find. I feel like I am standing here with my hat in my hand.

We are requesting more money to relocate the hangar and terminal.”

Nickel said CGA had been instrumental in finding more funding sources for the estimated $3.1 million project.

The Federal Aviation Administration will pay 45 percent — or $1.4 million — of the project amount.

T-R FILE PHOTO The Marshalltown Municipal Airport-Niederhauser Field is approximately five miles northwest of town. Niederhauser Field was named in honor of the Niederhauser family, who were instrumental in developing Marshalltown’s aviation business.

The city will borrow their 55 percent share — or nearly $1.7 million — from general obligation bonds.

Council voted to approve the request with fourth-ward councilor Al Hoop voting no.

The larger hangar, 100 x 150 will help house corporate jets overnight from businesses such as Emerson, JBS and Lennox.

Nickel said the current hangar’s door isn’t tall enough so jets can be parked inside overnight. As a result, those jet are flying elsewhere for suitable hangars.

Steve Valbracht of Marshalltown Aviation, Inc., who leases the airport’s land and buildings from the city in exchange for airport management services, recommended a larger hangar to use at the airport.

After the meeting, Valbracht said the city council opted to include the terminal, which will be the same size as the existing structure. It was not his recommendation.

The city and Valbrecht have worked in partnership since Valbrecht took over Marshalltown operations 11 years ago to make numerous airport improvements.

Valbrecht and Ethan Nasalroad are business partners, with Nasalroad managing the Newton airport.

The Marshalltown Municipal Airport-Niederhauser Field lies five miles north of town, and offers a wide variety of services ranging from mechanics to instructors to line services.

Nickel said underground electrical work will begin this fall. “We estimate the new hangar, terminal building and other improvements will be done by fall of 2021,” he said.

Contact Mike Donahey at 641-753-6611 or mdonahey@timesrepublican.com

This story has been updated and corrected.

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