Cherpeski's Friday Update: February 23, 2018

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Calendar

  • March 5, 2018, 6:00 PM - Work Session
    City Hall Annex Conference Room
    • Sky Lakes Park Rendering Update
    • Tobacco Free Parks
  • March 5, 2018, 7:00 PM - City Council
    City Hall Annex Conference Room
     
  • March 19, 2018, 6:00 PM - City Audit Committee
    City Hall Annex Conference Room
    • Report by Auditor
  • March 19, 2018, 7:00 PM - City Council
    City Hall Annex Conference Room
     

City Manager / Administration

Quiet Zone – We anticipate bringing a consultant contract forward to you at your next meeting to assist with the quiet zone. The process, while somewhat streamlined from earlier versions, is still very complex and we find we don’t have sufficient staff time to move the project forward in a timely manner.

Recycling – I will be setting up a work session with Waste Management to discuss how we address changes to the recycling market. We have been told the State has issued temporary “concurrences” that allow a City or County to landfill recyclables for a specified period of time. As of now, those issued all end in May. State rules require cities our size and the Urban Growth boundary associated with them to have a recycling program. This is not just a Klamath Falls issue but is a national concern. The cost of recycling most products now exceeds the cost of landfilling. However, part of the diversion effort is to extend the life of landfills. I don’t know that there is any easy answer on this one, but I expect the state to weigh in on any of our options.

Airport

On February 13, 2018, the Oregon State Aviation Board approved the Crater Lake – Klamath Regional Airport’s (Airport) application for a $44,000 grant to assist the Airport to match the FAA grant requirements for an Airport Master Plan. The grant approval list is attached. The Airport competed for this grant with all other Oregon airports and would like to thank the
Oregon Department of Aviation staff for their assistance and the State Aviation Board for support of the Airport. Additional program details follow.

The Oregon Department of Aviation offers a grant under the Aviation System Action Program (ASAP) - http://www.oregon.gov/aviation/Pages/Aviation_System_Action_Program.aspx.

Background
In 2015, the Oregon State Legislature passed House Bill 2075 to increase the fuel tax on Aviation Gas (AV Gas) and Jet Fuel by .02 cents per gallon to invest in aviation for specific purposes, as noted below, resulting in the Aviation System Action Program (ASAP) Fund. The fuel tax increase became effective January 1, 2016 and currently has a sunset date of January 1, 2022.

Funding Programs
The ASAP Fund allocates and distributes the proceeds from the fuel tax increase among three new programs, in accordance with OL 2015 c.700 §7. One of those programs, called the Critical Oregon Airport Relief Program (COAR), allocates fifty percent of the amounts from the fuel tax increase and shall be distributed for the following purposes:

  • (A) To assist airports in Oregon with match requirements for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program grants.
  • (B) To make grants for emergency preparedness and infrastructure projects, in accordance with the Oregon Resilience Plan, including seismic studies, emergency generators, etc.
  • (C) To make grants for:
    • 1. Services critical or essential to aviation including, but not limited to, fuel, sewer, water and weather equipment.
    • 2. Aviation-related business development including, but not limited to, hangars, parking for business aircraft and related facilities.
    • 3. Airport development for local economic benefit including, but not limited to, signs and marketing.

The Airport staff and its consultant’s staff, Mead & Hunt, are working on the scope and FAA approval process to begin the Master Plan project later this year.

Information provided is courtesy; "Friday Update' by City of Klamath Falls, City Manager, Nathan Cherpeski for February 23, 2018