Osage Beach Sheds More Light On Lee C Fine Decisions

You can’t always judge a book by its cover.

That may be the case in Osage Beach with the city recently going back on a proposed deal to assume ownership from the DNR of Lee C. Fine Airport in the state park after issues with the airport’s sewer system were made public.

However, according to Mayor Michael Harmison, extending a lease with the DNR to continue operating and overseeing the airport really makes financial sense, “There’s a lot of grants that are from the FAA, the Modot that you’re eligible if you have a 20 year lease. And we are at the stage right now falling below that 20 year lease, which would make us not qualify for some of those savings plans or grants or whatever. So this basically gets us that cushion of 20 years.”

Harmison also says there’s an issue of past grant funding provided to the city for the airport, “There’s a lot of grants that are from the FAA, the Modot that you’re eligible if you have a 20 year lease. And we are at the stage right now falling below that 20 year lease, which would make us not qualify for some of those savings plans or grants or whatever. So this basically gets us that cushion of 20 years.”

The first reading of an ordinance extending the lease will follow a public hearing during this week’s meeting in city hall on Thursday starting at 5:30pm.