Burnet Council gives nod to airport plan
Also approved Tuesday was a payscale plan that leaders hope makes the city more competitive as officials look to attract and keep skilled workers.
The airport plan, which was developed by residents, staff and advisers during the last year, was a necessary step in order for the city to continue receiving Texas Department of Transportation funding, City Manager Mike Steele said.
Steele said the master plan could help cement the airport’s place in the city’s growing economy. The airport brings in $3.5 million annually according to city figures, with its 46 employees earning about $1.3 million in payroll.
“The airport is a huge economic driver for the city, and it tends to be overlooked by people because it tends to operate in the black for the most part,” Steele said. “I think it’s very important toward acting as a centerpiece enabling other parts of the city to prosper.”
The plan gives city leaders a 20-year guide to plan future expansions to the facility, including a proposed land purchase that would allow officials to relocate the existing taxiway about 90 feet for safety reasons.
“We may look at a different expansion that would require another 50 feet of taxi space, so we would contact property owners on the east side (of the airport) to see about purchasing property,” Airport Director Crista Goble Bromley said.
“We’ll move forward from here depending on what is economically feasible,” she added. “The plan will also include a funding plan, and depending on what that is, and depending on what the council is able to do about funding, we’ll decide where to go from here.”
In other action, the council approved a payscale plan designed to keep city employee’s salaries competitive across Central Texas.
The plan was devised after a three-month salary survey that was completed earlier this year, officials said.
The next council meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11 in council chambers, 2402 S. Water St. in Burnet.
chris@thepicayune.com