Sawyer County airport staff told the Public Works Committee that pavement removal on the county's airport improvement project is advancing rapidly and that the committee approved the transfer of a McCain hangar lease to a family trust.

Derek Lesley, speaking for the Sawyer County Airport, said crews "hit it really hard" and that pavement removals were expected to be finished "tomorrow afternoon" if weather and work schedules held. Lesley said equipment and trucks were staged and that surveyors planned markings for the next week; he added the county was optimistic the project could finish sooner than originally anticipated. Lesley also told the committee the airport may receive some money back for pavement being removed, which would allow work on deferred maintenance items.

The committee voted to approve a request to transfer the existing McCain hangar lease into the "McCain Trust." The motion to approve the transfer was made by Mr. Evans and seconded by Mr. Newman; the committee approved the transfer.

Lesley and other airport representatives discussed several project details: material from the removed pavement is being hauled to the Millstone Mills pit on Highway 77, contractors had been putting in long workdays, and staff were considering doing some concrete-joint maintenance in-house to keep water from undermining pavement sections. Lesley said the airport layout plan cannot begin until the FAA approves the forecast, and he did not expect the master plan or layout plan work to be completed this year because of FAA timelines.

Committee members noted the airport improvement is large for the county: Lesley described it as "a 4 and a half million dollar improvement to the airport." He also invited committee participation in the airport's July open house (formerly called a "fly-in").

No additional lease transfers or airport policy changes were acted on at the meeting; staff encouraged members and residents to report complaints to the airport manager or engineer so issues can be addressed promptly.