Quorum Court to consider requests for funds for airport, sheriff's vehicle

The commission bought the policy after airport general manager Sheila Evans discovered that the County's insurance policy did not offer sufficient protection, Commission Chairman Dave Tiegen said Monday.

Tiegen said the former policy did not provide any coverage for the airport's fuel farm, a primary source of liability.

Feeling the situation was too urgent to wait for County approval, the commission paid for the policy with $2,322 drawn from the airport's matching fund, which is normally reserved for matching grants from state and federal sources.

Tiegen noted that, because the money was drawn from matching funds, the cost to the airport is actually much greater than $2,322. One must also consider the grant money that could have been secured with those matching funds, he said.

The airport receives the bulk of its funding from federal and state agencies, which normally pay 80 to 90 percent of project costs. Based on these figures, Tiegen said, the airport is potentially missing out on additional grant money to the tune of more than $20,000.

Tiegen noted that the County, as the owner of the airport, would be liable for any accident that occurred on airport property.

"The purchase of the contract was not to protect the airport," he said. "It was to protect the County."

In other business, the Court will:

* Consider an ordinance to appropriate $8,892.50 to the Sheriff's Office for a new patrol car. The County received the money as an insurance settlement after one of the Sheriff's Office vehicles was totaled last month in a hail storm.

* Consider an amendment to an ordinance banning smoking in County facilities.