This week's headlines

The Board of County Commissioners has given approval to airport projects paid for mostly with state and federal grants, but which also require spending county funds.

The grants from state and federal governments will combine with county dollars to pay for improvements to Blake Field and the North Fork Airport.

A specialized tractor with custom attachments for snow plowing and other tasks, and which is designed for working around obstacles commonly found at airports will be purchased for Blake Field using state and county funds.

The "multi-use" tractor is an $83,400 expense that will be covered with a $75,000 grant from CDOT and $8,400 county funds.

A pavement maintenance and crack sealing project for Blake Field that will include fog sealing of the runway and taxiway costing $149,630 will cost the county $14,900 in matching funds, with the balance of the $134,730 project cost paid by state funds.

There will be $130,000 in federal money going to help pay for an update of the airport layout plan for Blake Field. The county and state will each contribute an additional $7,222 to the total $144,444 project.

At the North Fork Airport on Stewart Mesa between Hotchkiss and Paonia, a $93,200 project for pavement maintenance, crack filling and fog sealing will be paid with $83,880 in state funds and an additional $9,320 in county funds.

A second project at North Fork Airport has also been approved for funding. The airport wind cone needs to be moved into a safety area farther from the runway. It will also be lighted and a segmented circle navigation aid will also be installed. The $40,900 total cost is being shared between a $36,810 state grant combined with $4,090 in county funds.

In other business that was handled during recent meetings, the Board of County Commissioners dealt with the following matters:

• Commissioners discussed safety markings on the Tri-State power lines north of Blake Field. The commissioners want to determine whether the markings comply with Federal Aviation Administration requirements. It was suggested that the county's airport engineering consultant might be asked to review the matter.

• Commissioners approved $3,000 for the Grand Mesa Nordic Council's trails grooming program on Grand Mesa. The funds came to the county from GOCO/Colorado Lottery and were budgeted for the purpose.

• The commissioners approved a one-day waiver of tipping fees at the landfill for the BLM's spring clean-up day which takes place in the spring. Commissioners wanted staff to ensure that only refuse collected in Delta County public lands during the clean-up would be brought to Adobe Buttes. An estimated "25 loads" are expected.

•The commissioners approved a one-year contract with Double J Disposal of Austin to operate the county's pilot recycling project at the North Fork transfer station. Double J will also tend the county's long-standing newsprint collection bin at 4th and Meeker.

• Commissioners ratified a letter asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to extend the initial comment period on listing the Gunnison sage grouse as endangered.

"The proposed endangered listing will significantly impact counties, federal and state agencies, and communities," states the county's letter.

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