The Starke County Commissioners will consider a revised zoning ordinance for the Starke County Airport when they meet this evening. The county council has already blessed the change in order to allow for the eventual extension of the airport runway by 5,000 feet with grant money from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver says funds for such projects come from excise taxes levied on the aviation industry by the federal government.
He says the revised Air Hazard Zoning Ordinance is required in order to protect FAA’s investment from encroachment by subdivisions, hospitals, schools and that sort of thing. In Starke County’s case, Weaver says there’s nothing around the airport because the soils are not conducive to development.
Weaver will also discuss a revised agreement between the county and the economic development foundation with the commissioners during their 6 p.m. meeting.
Other items on tonight’s agenda include monthly reports from Starke County EMS and the Starke County Highway Department and county IT Director Brian Pinson’s request to either purchase or lease new servers.
