The Minden City Council Monday approved the annexation of about 2.78 acres of land around the Minden Municipal Airport on Methodist Camp Road.
R.S. 33:180 gives the council the authority to annex property under ordinance “without the necessity of compliance with any of the procedures of advertisement, petition by residents, public hearing or other procedures set forth in this Subpart.”
The statute also directs the municipality, by certified mail, to certify the state agency or political subdivision which owns the road proposed to be annexed at least 30 days prior to the introduction of the ordinance proposing such annexation.
Mayor Tommy Davis says the city joins on two sides and it just makes sense.
“For long-term use, I think it will help us with our airport,” he said in a September interview.
“It’s got road frontage and it gives us better access to the airport, and it backs up to where we join already. It just gives us more acreage out there, and if we ever hope to expand our airport over what our current plans are, this would be good for us to have.”
The property was purchased for $36,000, which was approved by the council in September.
The airport is also undergoing other improvements, which is expected to be complete this year, Davis said.
“The overall project we’re doing at the airport comes under the umbrella of obstruction removal,” he said in July. “We’re trying to build a parallel taxiway to the landing strip. To do that, we have to remove all of those older buildings existing now – where the terminal is now, where the fuel farm (fuel station) is now. In order to do that we have to build a new terminal, move the fuel farm, and we’ve already built the 30 new T-hangers.”
The city will more than likely receive a $1 million grant through the Louisiana Department of Transportation to fund the remainder of the project. Along with the construction of the new fuel farm and terminal, the grant will also pay for the removal of the existing buildings.
The city applied for the grant last fiscal year. The total cost of the project, including the construction of the T-hangars, is around $2 million.
Minden Mayor Tommy Davis presents Vintage Car Club of Minden member Almory Walker, Jr. with a proclamation recognizing the club’s recent successful car show in downtown at Monday’s city council meeting. Bruce Franklin/Press-Herald
In other news, the council approved:
– the appointment of Denton Culpepper to the Minden Main Street board of directors for a two-year term.
– appointment of Janet LaBruyere to the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board.
– actions concerning condemned properties.
– the adoption of Ordinance No. 1058 Annual Bridge Maintenance Report.
– the adoption of a resolution regarding Annual Certification of Compliance with LA Off-System Bridge 9/30/15.
– the adoption of a resolution for the local match for the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant, which means the city agrees to pay for engineering and administrative service fees associated with the implementation of the LCDBG program. The grant will go for public facility improvements.
– the adoption of a resolution for airport improvements.
– the bid for airport obstruction removal – the fuel facility and the bid for obstruction removal – the terminal building.
– the final plat for re-subdivision of property owned by Benjamin F. Wood, located at Ferguson Street.
n the monthly police report.