By Carolyn Cole/Staff Writer

El Reno Airpark Authority is requesting an indefinite subsidy and immediate financial assistance from the City Council, which will consider the proposal Tuesday night.

The request includes an upfront payment of $42,473, which would help cover lost revenues from hangar rentals and fuel sales the airpark suffered when a tornado ripped through two hangars in April — one a brand new hangar that was four days from completion. Addition-ally, the authority is requesting a subsidy of $18,328 per month until the hangars are restored.

Trustee chairman Allen Conner said it isn’t known how long the airpark will need the subsidy.

The authority’s requests will be taken up during the regulary scheduled City Council meeting that begins at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday in Council chambers at city hall.

“We have run into cash flow problems, so we are asking for some assistance to see us through until the hangars are restored,” Conner said.

City Councilman Paul Atkins said he isn’t certain he would support the proposal considering the Council has already pledged four payments of $19,775, one of which the airpark has already received as part of aid following the storm. He said he could see advancing the airpark operating expenses for a few months and revisiting the situation at another date.

If the Council grants the authority’s new requests, a one year total for the additional subsidies would top $262,000.
“I think it’s something the Council will have to think seriously about,” he said.

Atkins, who also serves on the airpark authority, said it is his understanding that construction contractor, Oklahoma City-based Tri-City Seal Inc., had allowed the insurance policy to lapse when the tornado hit the hangars. The newer, larger hangar cost $650,000 to build.

Atkins said he’s concerned the situation could lead to a lawsuit. Conner said he could not yet comment.

“I’m not going to agree to an indefinite subsidy or request because I want to see what they are going to get when all of this litigation was done,” Atkins said.

The authority has an outstanding bond of $879,051 to build the new hangar through the Bank of Union, and needs $42,473 to pay for loan payments and other debts on the hangar project, according to city records.

It will need $18,328 per month to make up losses in hangar rentals and fuel sales and cover loan payments, until the hangars are repaired.

The Council will also be asked to approve a bid to repair one of the hangars, which Conner said will be covered with insurance funds. Earlier, Conner had said the face value of the policy was about $228,000, which he said should be adequate.

In other business, the City Council will consider buying a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser for the community development department.

Community Development Director Robert Coleman said the $14,243 purchase would allow code enforcement officers to take an older, less fuel-efficient vehicle off the street — either the department’s 1991 Chevrolet Suburban or the 1995 Ford Explorer.

“We don’t need big trucks — we need safe economical cars,” he said.

The department recently bought a 2006 Chevrolet Impala, which Coleman said fits code enforcement officers’ needs better than the sports utility vehicles. The department also uses a 1997 Ford F-150 pickup truck.

Coleman said the PT Cruiser is expected to get 30 miles per gallon. He estimated the Suburban gets about 5 miles per gallon.

Also, he said the older vehicles could soon be in need of expensive repairs, and he’s concerned about future problems. Until recently, Coleman said the department received “hand-me-down” ve-hicles from the police and fire departments, which are designed specifically for each first responder’s job.

“We don’t chase people, and we try not to run into or carry things,” he said.

The vehicle would be purchased through Oklahoma’s contract program, in which the state bids for autos and often gets cheaper deals than individual agencies can find on their own, Coleman said. The vehicle would be purchased from Vance Auto Group and comes with a seven-year, 50,000-mile warranty.

Coleman said El Reno would get a 2007 model vehicle at the 2006 model price. He said he also called local dealerships, but they couldn’t meet the deal El Reno could get through the state contract.

“If they could buy it locally, I’d rather spend $14,000 here rather than anywhere else,” Coleman said.

By replacing vehicles getting lower miles per gallon, Coleman said he hopes it will be less of a struggle to keep code enforcement officers’ fuel costs within budget. He said the department’s busy season is spring through early fall, and recent price surges due to hurricanes and international pressures have hit his department hard.

“We are one missile in the Middle East away from $4 a gallon,” he said.

The Council will also consider renewing the city’s membership in the Central Oklahoma Water Resources Authority for $26,090. COWRA is searching for ways to meet water needs in Canadian County and has preliminarily pinpointed a source of drinking water along the South Canadian River.