Dowagiac officials will soon be able to cross one item off its list of improvements to the city’s airport.

The city council approved a contract on Monday that would give them easement rights for a stretch of land near the Dowagiac Municipal Airport’s west landing strip. Under the agreement, the city will reserve the right to manage the height of trees growing on the property, located on Prairie Ronde Street, which will help improve visibility for pilots using the publicly owned airfield.

“This item here is listed for safety,” said City Manager Kevin Anderson during his remarks to the council that evening. “It really has to be done before other projects can get funded, like box hangers and other kinds of improvements that may come.”

The city will work with engineering consulting firm Prein & Newhof, out of Grand Rapids, to secure the easement rights from the current property owners. Though the city will not own the property, the agreement will allow crews to trim any foliage that could interfere with airport operations.

Like other recent airport work enacted, a majority of the funding for the project will come from federal grants, administered by the Michigan Division Aeronautics on behalf of the Federal Airport Air and Development Fund. The city will only be responsible for covering 5 percent of the total cost, Anderson said.

“This design piece and negotiation fees have a $30,000 to it,” he said. “In total, the cost of this project is expected to be about $110,00, in terms of acquiring all of the right-of-ways and the removal of trees, and having a permanent solution. It will take the better part of the year to complete.”

When asked by Council Member Charles Burling about whether or not the clearing project would allow for a lengthier runway to accommodate larger aircraft, the city manager said that it’s only to ensure that tree heights remain below hazardous levels of growth.

“[A larger runway] is on long range plans, but we have to meet a market analysis on how many flights are coming in, and the likely hood of those larger planes coming in,” Anderson said. “You have to be able to have justifications for that kind of size increase.”

Other action passed by the council on Monday included:

• A resolution for additional budget amendments to the city’s fiscal year 2014 budget.

• Payment of outstanding bills and payroll, in the amount of $935,708.33.