“There’s good news about all of our grants,” Rhonda Chambers, the airport’s director of aviation, said Thursday evening. “We just wanted to make sure that funding isn’t delayed. That was great news.”

The airport was the sole focus of the last day in Washington for some members of the delegation of Fort Dodge, Webster County, Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance and Iowa Central Community College representatives. Most of the group actually headed home for Fort Dodge Regional Airport Thursday morning. But Chambers, Mayor Matt Bemrich, City Manager David Fierke, Wade Greiman from Snyder & Associates and Luke Hugghins from McClure Engineering Co. stayed behind for a meeting with U.S. Department of Transportation officials.

It was the last Washington meeting for Chambers, who will retire this summer, and Bemrich, who decided not to run for re-election this year.

A $1.2 million federal grant had previously been approved for replacing old incandescent lights along a taxiway and other grants had been approved for rebuilding two other taxiways. The taxiways are the routes airplanes take between the terminal and the runways.

With all the changes and cutbacks President Donald Trump is making, the local delegation wanted assurance that already-approved grants would still be coming. Chambers said the group received those assurances.

The Essential Air Service program which provides a $6.4 million annual subsidy to keep United Express flights coming to the airport was also reviewed.

Now those flights connect Fort Dodge to Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Illinois. For awhile, there were also flights to Denver International Airport in Colorado. According to Bemrich, there is a possibility that Denver flights could be restored if the community and the airline want them, and if the flights can be made without increasing the subsidy for United Express.

Chambers also talked about a change within the airport that passengers will see very soon. That change will be in the form of a new scanner for examining checked luggage. She said the airport’s security checkpoint will be reconfigured to accommodate it. She added that the changes will be made this spring.

Both Bemrich and Chambers said the community has long had a good relationship with the Department of Transportation.

“They’ve always been great communicators for us,” Bemrich said.

Chambers added, “We just pick up the phone and get help. They know who Fort Dodge is.”