Lino Lakes Ledger
Council Opposes Airport Expansion
By a 4-1 vote, Mayor John Bergeson opposing, the Lino Lakes City Council passed Resolution 09-19 opposing any expansion of the Anoka County-Blaine Airport, currently classified by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) as a minor airport.
The vote came in response to a presentation by representatives of Concerned Citizens of the North Metro, who attended the March 2 council work session to inform council members of the possible effects of an airport expansion on Lino Lakes residents.
Barry Rice of Lino Lakes and Kathy Jackanitch of Blaine made the presentation.
The group has been galvanizing opposition to what they believe is a behind-the-scenes attempt by operator Key Air to lengthen the airport’s existing 5,000-foot runway, which is currently at the maximum length allowable for a minor airport. For intermediate airports, runways may range from 5,001 to 8,000 feet in length. A runway expansion would allow larger—and potentially noisier—aircraft to use the airport, presenters said.
The proposal to lengthen the east-west runway to 6,000 feet was discussed at an Anoka County Board’s Airport Committee meeting last fall and faced considerable opposition.
“Lino Lakes is directly in the line of takeoffs,” Rice said. Since that meeting, county officials state that there is nothing on the county board’s agenda relative to the airport expansion, Rice related.
Jon Olsen of Anoka County Department of Public Services told council members at the work session that the airport “is under the sole jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. Ultimately, [expansion] is a legislative decision,” he said.
Group representatives say that the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce has met with representatives of Key Air, MAC and various legislators, and that Key Air has hired at least one legislative lobbyist to assist with the expansion approval process.
City council members expressed concern that they would not have an opportunity to express an opinion before the legislature may elect to take up the issue.
“Lino Lakes is primarily residential, so I can’t see why we would want this expansion,” Council Member Jeff Reinert said.
In other action, the council:
• Voted to amend the city’s 2009 General Operating Budget (full story Page 1).
• Approved a partial refund in the amount of $315 of John DeHaven’s minor subdivision application escrow account, recognizing that some extra staff costs could be attributed to the first-time review process associated with a recent ordinance change. DeHaven had argued that the costs were excessive.
• Held a first reading of Ordinance No. 03-09, amending the 2009 City Fee Schedule. The burning permit fee is proposed to increase from $30 to $50 consistent with other cities in the Centennial Fire District. An amendment to Chapter 1009, the city’s new Housing Maintenance (Crime Free Housing Code) is also proposed, providing for a reduction in the license fee for rental housing if the license is issued less than six months before the date it would expire.