(STURGIS) - Kirsch Municipal Airport was the subject of a recent Sturgis City Commission work session.
Concerns were raised by several individuals earlier this summer about the condition of the airport and not being able to work with the City to see the airport grow.
During the work session, John Bartelt of Bartelt Aviation shared he wasn't trying to throw anyone under the buss, but he did have some concerns about working with Sturgis City Government.
Bartelt says the City is dysfunctional when it comes to providing business services. One instance is transferring property ownership so the Assessor's Department has a problem. Bartelt says he has a hanger he inherited from his mother and he can't obtain an airport land lease. He also says they can't complete airport improvements.
Bartelt says he was hoping to find a solution for the City and the airport to work together on and move forward.
Gelan Geigley also spoke, and shared his frustrations with wanting to construct a building at the airport and having to redo drawings and plans for the project multiple times
Interim Sturgis City Manager Doug Terry shared that working with government can be frustrating some times. He did say that in the short time he's been with Sturgis, he has found it to be a wonderful place to work and do business in.
Terry says they did a staff review of everything just said, all of the meetings, the permits and applications that went through. He says somewhere in the conversation it was lost that the reason Sturgis has strict building codes is the City has adopted codes they adhere to.
Terry says he is looking at doing some labor re-organization to help out at the airport. He says he will meet with Bartelt and Geigley and any others to try and reach some solutions that would be good for everyone.