Austin City Council approves bid for fuel system replacement project at the Austin Municipal Airport at Monday meeting

The Austin City Council approved a bid of $742,500 from Minnesota Petroleum Services of Columbia Heights for a fuel system replacement project to be undertaken at the Austin Municipal Airport at their regularly scheduled meeting Monday evening.  Public Works Director Steven Lang stated to the council that the bid from Minnesota Petroleum Services was the lowest one received and he added that the project will involve removal of the existing fueling system, which consists of two 10,000-gallon underground fuel tanks with dispensers that are more than 30 years old, and the installation of new above ground tanks, new dispensers, and an automated card reader system.  Construction on the project is expected to span from June to October of this year. 

In other business Monday evening, the Austin City Council approved a pair of airport T-Hangar entitlement transfers from the cities of Walker and Wadena, each totaling $150,000.  Lang stated to the council that the two cities have no use for the funds at this time, and the $150,000 from the city of Walker will be transferred back to that city in 2026, and the $150,000 from the city of Wadena will be transferred back to that city in 2027.  The entitlement transfers will assist in funding the construction of a 10-unit, T-Hangar project at the Austin Municipal Airport which will feature the construction of a 52 ft x 230 ft steel framed structure, concrete footings, a concrete floor, bifold doors and approach aprons.  The total project cost will come to $1,873,274.  The council also approved a request from the Austin Bruins to remove the ice from Riverside Arena for the installation of new logos, ads and other details when the ice is reinstalled.  Officials with the Bruins also noted at the meeting that the ice is nearing the end of a four-year cycle of use, and player safety for all of the teams that use the facility was also cited as a reason for the removal and reinstallation of the ice.  The $22,600 cost of the project would be split between the Bruins, who would pay $12,000, which would include supplying volunteers and labor for the project, and the rest of the total would come from the city for electricity costs, other labor, materials and equipment, with the city’s share coming out of contingency funds.  Parks and Recreation Director Jason Sehon stated to the council that the project would start as soon as Tuesday, May 7th, with a new sheet of ice to be reinstalled by June 3rd.  The project was approved on a vote of 6-1, with councilman Geoff Baker casting the lone dissenting vote.

In other business, the Austin City Council approved four different tax abatement requests, and the council also approved a donation of $10,000 to the Mower County Veterans Memorial Renovation Project.  The next regularly scheduled meeting for the Austin City Council will be held on Monday, May 20th at the City Council chambers at 5:30 p.m. that evening.