By Bonnie Culverhouse

With four of five members present (District D Councilman Michael Roy – absent), Minden City Council Monday unanimously approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Nick Cox to execute an agreement with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) for improvements at the Minden Airport.

“Most of the airport improvement grants are federal,” Cox said. “This is a small one through the state.”

The Louisiana Legislature authorized the financing of certain airport improvements from funds appropriated through the Transportation Trust Fund, and the City of Minden has requested funding assistance from the LA DOTD to construct box hangars.

The resolution reads the stated project has been approved by the Louisiana Legislature and the LA DOTD is agreeable to the implementation of this project.

LA DOTD will provide the necessary funding to construct box hangars and reimburse the sponsor up to $7,211 of project cost.

Cox said the next project is a perimeter fence for the airport, and the council once again voted unanimously to give the mayor the authority to advertise for bids for the MNE Perimeter Fencing – Phase I at the airport.

“The fence will help us greatly with our liabilities,” he added.

During the 5 p.m. council workshop, work on the Industrial Drive rehabilitation and other street projects were discussed.

“May 18 is our start date on Industrial Drive,” said Public Works Director Tyler Wallace. “There’s 130 days in the contract, and we figure it will take most all of that to complete it.”

The intersection of Industrial Drive and La. Highway 531 will remain open throughout the project, according to Wallace.

“It will be one lane at times,” he said. “I would say local traffic should avoid that area, if possible.”