One of the highlights from this past week was attending the ribbon-cutting for the new North Platte airport terminal. The existing terminal was the oldest in the state and was built in 1952. Planning for the new terminal began when I served on the North Platte Airport Authority Board. Although the planning was well underway, there was still significant work to be done when I left the Board for the Nebraska Legislature.

The new terminal was a project that benefited from the pandemic infrastructure bill that was passed to help stimulate the economy. We were also fortunate that U.S. Senator Deb Fischer was in a leadership position, which allowed her to direct significant funding to this project. In total, she shepherded $17 million of the $30 million project, and Governor Pillen directed $2 million in state dollars from the newly created fund that generates sales tax revenues from aircraft-related sales for these types of projects. This last piece was essential to allowing the Airport Authority to close the funding gap.

Anyone who attended the ribbon cutting had to be impressed with the final product that the current Airport Authority coordinated with HDR, who developed the architectural plan, and Sampson Construction, the general contractor. Both are Nebraska-based companies who pay taxes in Nebraska and employ workers who live in Nebraska. I must say that when I walked through the doors on Monday, it was breathtaking. I couldn’t believe we now have this facility in North Platte that will serve the entire region.

I also believe that this project will help cement the relationship with Skywest, which brought a reliable jet service to the region with nonstop service to Denver. I remember when I first joined the Board, when we had unreliable turboprop service with very few enplanements. Today, the enplanements are over 2,000 per month and growing. I expect enplanements to continue to grow as this new facility will drop passengers from an even larger service area. With ample free parking close to the terminal and simple, fast check-in, there is no reason to ever drive to Denver for your travel needs.

I believe the fundamental factor in growing the business community is making sure we are connected. Having the interstate highway and quality air travel is a huge boost to attracting more businesses and growing our tax base. One of the best ways to lower our reliance on property taxes is to spread the property tax burden over a larger base. If we can increase the tax base faster than the growth in taxes, we can lower costs for individual taxpayers.

Access to services and housing is also critical. We are blessed to have Great Plains Health located in North Platte, which employs outstanding physicians and support staff that provide quality medical care throughout the area. Communities in the region are also supported by a wide variety of non-profit organizations, small businesses, and outstanding first responders. Over the past few years, the area has made a major effort to build more housing at all price points. Housing availability is essential to growing both new and existing businesses. Having housing, retail, great schools, and recreational opportunities are all necessary ingredients to attract workers to locate here. It is easy to focus on the negatives, but sometimes we need to step back to appreciate all the wonderful things that our area of the state has to offer.

Economic development does not happen on its own. I am so appreciative of the work by county commissioners, city councils, the North Platte Airport Authority, local school boards, and those who work and volunteer as part of the North Platte Area Chamber and Development Corporation for their leadership and the confidence so many investors have shown in us to invest in the businesses and housing stock. Change is the only way forward, and these efforts will be felt for decades to come.

It is a privilege to represent you in the Nebraska Legislature, and I look forward to hearing from you regarding issues that are important to you. I can be reached at 402-471-2729 or by emailing me at mike.jacobson@leg.ne.gov.