2021 MIDDLETON AIRPORT SURVEY

The City of Middleton is developing a 20-year plan for the Middleton Municipal Airport (“Morey Airport”). In early November, the Common Council approved the release of a multi-community survey for the purpose of learning how area residents view the airport and potential outcomes of the airport master planning process. The survey is being administered by Polco, a locally-based and nationally respected survey consultant that partners with the National Research Center (NRC) survey science team.

Who is receiving the survey?

This survey is being mailed to City, Town of Middleton, and Town of Springfield households that were randomly selected by Polco so as to help ensure participation from a diverse group of residents, not just people with strong opinions about the airport (either for or against). The City is also going to make a survey available to anyone who wishes to respond, with those results tracked separately from the responses received from the representative sample.

Concerns about privacy or computer access

Survey respondents will have the option to provide their responses by paper.

Survey Timing

Polco is about to notify selected households by U.S. mail that they have been invited to participate in the survey. Responses will be due December 12.
In a few weeks, the City will provide all area residents with an opportunity to respond to an open-participation version of the survey with the results tracked separately.
Polco will provide the City with a report on the findings of both surveys by the end of January.

What will happen after the survey?

The results of the survey will help inform the Middleton Common Council’s guidance to City staff and the City’s aviation consultant (Mead & Hunt) for completing a full draft of the airport master plan. There will continue to be opportunities for public input before the Council is asked to adopt the master plan.

ANOTHER ANONYMOUS FLYER IS BEING DISTRIBUTED IN MIDDLETON

City officials are aware that another unattributed flyer about the airport is being circulated in Middleton neighborhoods by unknown persons. The flyer and related yard signs that are appearing in the area may give some people the impression that the City has made a decision to expand the airport it owns. That is not the case. The master plan is studying potential options for airport runways and additional hangar space, but the “No Build” option remains on the table.

2022 CITY BUDGET INITIATIVES

The Common Council will consider adoption of the City’s 2022 budget at their meeting on November 16. There is no budget line item pertaining to any potential project being studied as part of the airport master plan because Council members do not have all the information they need to make an informed decision regarding the future of the airport. At Tuesday’s meeting, Middleton Common Council members will consider adding to the budget $30,000 for “design engineering” to position the City for installation of a new unleaded fuel tank at the airport. This initiative is consistent with the City’s longstanding efforts to reduce sources of pollution in our environment while recognizing that the technology and regulation of mobile lead emissions are currently rapidly evolving at the Federal level.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Details about the airport planning process are available on the City’s website at:
https://www.cityofmiddleton.us/airportmasterplan