It appears as if the controversial issue of a grain leg protruding more than 60 feet into the protected airspace of the Carroll Airport is moving towards a settlement. The leg owner’s counsel has approached the airport commission and will be addressing the County Board of Supervisors on Monday. According to the minutes from a Feb. 11 meeting of the commission, the attorney for Loren and Pan Danner, Steve Hamilton, has said they would dismiss the appeal before the Iowa Supreme Court and the Danner’s would be willing to modify the leg to comply with the zoning ordinances if the commission would agree to release the Danners from the per diem judgments. A District Court Judge had ruled that the Danners needed to remove the leg from airspace by May 1, 2018, or pay a $200 per day non-compliance penalty. These charges have been adding up during the appeals process to that court’s decision, and as of today, Feb. 22, the 297 days would equal $59,400. Hamilton said they would set a date for completion of this on or before April 15 of this year. The commission has drafted a counter offer that would require the Danners to pay all associated court costs incurred by the commission and to reimburse them for the litigation expenses. As of Feb. 11, that number is upwards of $48,600 and more fees are anticipated before the issue is resolved. Loren Danner is on the agenda for Monday’s Carroll County Board of Supervisors meeting at 9 a.m. in the board room at the Carroll County Courthouse. Hamilton outlined the intent of this meeting with the commission, saying Danner will plan to seek a “monetary contribution from the Carroll County, Iowa to help defray the costs of the grain leg modification.
