Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine June/July 2023 Digital Issue
ST. PAUL, MINN. – Members of the Minnesota Aviation Trades Association (MATA) and Minnesota Council of Airports reached out to members of the Minnesota Transportation Conference Committee concerning certain aspects of the budget for the MnDOT Department of Aeronautics (HF 2887).
Members spoke strongly in favor of the Governor’s proposed budget, which positions the House to invest general fund surplus dollars into upgrading and maintaining “critical airfield technology” (line 3.22 in the House version). The Senate version appropriates those upgrade funds from a forecasted surplus in the statutorily dedicated State Airport Fund. “We respectfully request that those dollars NOT come from the Airport Fund,” said Mike Beard of MATA and a former state legislator.
The bulk of those upgrades are for the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) that exists at most rural airports across the state. While these are located at general aviation airports, they also feed real-time weather information into the National Weather Service, and the information they generate helps inform the larger general public about current and near-term weather conditions. Many farmers, construction companies, trucking companies and others can and do dial into their local AWOS for current and relevant weather information as they plan their workdays. As such, an appropriation from the General Fund surplus is a reasonable and relevant use of those dollars, preserving the State Airport Fund for direct capital improvement grants to Minnesota’s 133 small town airports for aviation-specific projects, such as runway reconstruction, safety enhancements, and other brick and mortar projects.
Thanks to the General Fund appropriation, smaller communities can meet the federal fund match for the BIL and IIJA monies. This is a very helpful appropriation, and we are glad for the Governor’s and the Legislature’s support for this need.
