Beginning June 15, aircraft that usually use the Slidell Municipal Airport will have to find another place to land and takeoff because the main runway will be out of commission for about 10 days.

At a special Slidell City Council meeting Friday, a resolution was unanimously approved to accept $707,000 in stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that will be used to repave and re-stripe the runway at the airport. Mayor Ben Morris said some of the money would also be used to repair some of the approach ramps to the runway.

Airport Director Sam Carver said that Barriere Construction Co. will do the project, and the contract calls for it to be finished in 30 days. Carver is hoping that contractors will finish the job in 10 days, because during construction, the runway will be re-milled, making it unusable for airplanes, and he will have to shut down the airport. However Carver has asked the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to use the taxiway as a runway for airplanes, and he is hopeful the airport will get the OK, and planes will be able to use the airport during construction.

Morris said the FAA mandated that since the money for the project is stimulus money, he must get approval from the council before any work is done.

During the meeting, Police Chief Freddie Drennan announced the Slidell Police Department has received stimulus money also. A $20,111 grant was given to his department through the Byrne/JAG program. It will be added to another stimulus grant of $169,000 to develop and build what Drennan called a police wireless mesh network all over the city. The network will link up all computers in police cruisers, so officers will be able to work in their cars. Drennan said the network will allow police officers more time to be on patrol, do community policing and Homeland Security activities.