City council votes 5-1 to spend $117,500 on new airport hangar

The Decorah City Council has agreed to put up city funds to match a $117,500 state grant for the airport.

The $235,000 total in funding would allow the Decorah Airport to build a new three-airplane hangar.

The vote was not without some controversy.  City council member Bill Wagner voted against the expenditure, questioning whether other sources of funding weren't also available--such as funding from Winneshiek County or from higher hangar fees.  Those funding sources are being explored, but Wagner said there would be no incentive for Winneshiek County or others to contribute money if they knew the City of Decorah had already agreed to pay the entire local share.