July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Funds short for taxiway (8/19/04)
The deadline for return of a signed Federal Aviation Administration grant is drawing near, and funds are coming up short for phase one of the taxiway extension project for Portland Municipal Airport.
Mid-States Engineering project engineer Mike Evans told the Portland Aviation Board Wednesday the signed grant from the FAA is due by Friday, Aug. 27. Evans said the board requested $546,995 for the project, but so far the grant money is coming up $20,000 less than the airport requested.
The work is broken down into Divisions A and B. Division A will be done by Fleming Excavating of Decatur for $413,461, and Division B work is expected to be completed by Ludwig Contracting Inc. of Brookville for $27,125.
Evans said the grant will pay for 95 percent of the cost of the project. The state will pay 2.5 percent of what is left over and the airport will pay the rest.
Mid-States Engineering director of grant administration Maria Muia told the board she is in negotiations with the FAA for the $20,000 shortfall. She said there is still a possibility the FAA could come through with the funds. Sometimes airports request more money than needed for projects. In such cases, the extra money is returned to the FAA.
There are other ways to make up the money, Muia said. The money needed could either be rolled into a grant application with the FAA for phase two of the taxiway extension project or the airport could go ahead and pay the sum and get reimbursed by the FAA later. Evans said the airport has $20,000 it could spend if needed.
Evans had board members go ahead and sign contracts with Ludwig and Fleming and said he will schedule a pre-construction conference with the two firms soon. Previously, Evans has estimated construction on phase one would begin in the end of July. Now, he is unsure of the start date because of the delay in funding.
He said he would like to get the project started as soon as possible, because the construction will take 50 days and the weather will soon begin to interfere with the paving. Evans said the work will not start until at least the end of August.
Also Wednesday, Evans presented his two ideas for the new terminal building.
The first suggestion calls for using the current building’s site, which is along the south side of county road 100 South. The existing building would be razed, and a new two-story building would be constructed and connected to the maintenance bay. Such a building could house a restaurant on the second level. This option has an estimated cost of $1 million.
The second option would be a one-story structure built mid-field, east of the Tee-Hanger area and west of the Automated Weather Observation System. This building could not be two stories because it would block the AWOS wind sensor. The estimated would be $1.5 million.
Evans said the restaurant idea could still be a possibility with the single-story structure, however, the water and sanitary sewer lines would be a concern. The system the airport currently has could not support large numbers of restaurant customers. The sewer and water lines would either need to be extended from the city’s lines or a mound system would need to built. The utilities, which would cost about $144,000, would be the biggest part of the expense for either building.
In other business, the board announced the 16th Annual Fly-In will be held Saturday, Aug. 28, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the airport.
Free all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage will be offered in the morning, and whole-hog sausages will be available in the afternoon. Donations will be accepted.
The Arch Bridge Kroozers also will be at the airport that day from 8 a.m. to noon. Airplane rides are $8 per person, and helicopter rides are $25 for adults and $20 for children 6 and under.
Also during Wednesday’s meeting:
•Board members signed an agreement with Mid-States Engineering for construction and residential inspection for phase one of the taxiway extension project.
The previous contract the company had with the airport only covered the design aspect of the project. The residential inspector will be on-hand during construction to answer questions, observe and record construction activity and make sure the project meets all standards set by the FAA and the state. The cost for the construction and inspector is $103,000, which will be paid by the airport. This is part of the airport’s 2.5 percent portion of the cost of phase one.[[In-content Ad]]Mid-States Engineering director of grant administration Maria Muia suggested Wednesday the Portland Aviation Board begin looking into ways to keep deer away from the Portland Municipal Airport.
Airport manager Dave Miller said this morning, deer running across the runway has increasingly become a problem over the years, especially in the fall. The problem hasn’t yet become hazardous, however, as no airplanes have struck a deer.
“(The deer problem) is something we want to nip in the (bud) before it becomes a hazard,” said Miller.
Muia suggested the airport begin keeping a wildlife log, to increase the possibility of getting funding through the Transportation Security Administration for taller fences to keep the deer away.
She said whenever an animal comes onto the property, it should be recorded. The information could later be turned into the TSA, which might award the airport discretionary funds for the fences.
“A fence won’t keep terrorists out, but it will keep deer out,” said Muia.
In other business, Mid-States Engineering project engineer Mike Evans said two years ago the board had an environmental assessment done on 76 acres, which would need to be purchased for phase two of the taxiway and runway extension projects. Since that time, nothing has been done with the findings.
If the board would still like to purchase the land, a new environmental assessment would need to be done because the standards have become much more strict and the old assessment would no longer be valid, said Muia.
“You can’t do the extension projects until you have an environmental assessment done,” she said.
Also, if the airport wants to buy the acreage in two years, plans for funding should be in the works immediately. She suggested seeking federal funding for the project. Showing the government the airport needs the extension through documentation could increase the chances of getting the money. She said if 250 jet or turbo aircrafts used the airport per year and needed the extra 1,000 feet the runway extension and phase two of the taxiway extension would provide, this would be considered a substantial need.
Board president Glynn Barber said his proposed extreme sports park might increase the number of larger aircrafts using the airport. He said he would have a media package for his project ready for federal officials by Sept. 16.
After the meeting, Evans said the FAA only grants each airport $150,000 per year for Airport Improvement Programs, which is the category the extensions would fall under. He said the airport should get a lobbyist in Washington to add the request for more money to the national transportation bill.
The board will hold an executive session Wednesday, Aug. 25, at 3:30 p.m. in the airport meeting room to discuss the purchase of the land needed for phase two of the taxiway and runway extension projects. Barber said the board hasn’t moved forward on the projects because it has been waiting on land appraisals.
Mid-States Engineering project engineer Mike Evans told the Portland Aviation Board Wednesday the signed grant from the FAA is due by Friday, Aug. 27. Evans said the board requested $546,995 for the project, but so far the grant money is coming up $20,000 less than the airport requested.
The work is broken down into Divisions A and B. Division A will be done by Fleming Excavating of Decatur for $413,461, and Division B work is expected to be completed by Ludwig Contracting Inc. of Brookville for $27,125.
Evans said the grant will pay for 95 percent of the cost of the project. The state will pay 2.5 percent of what is left over and the airport will pay the rest.
Mid-States Engineering director of grant administration Maria Muia told the board she is in negotiations with the FAA for the $20,000 shortfall. She said there is still a possibility the FAA could come through with the funds. Sometimes airports request more money than needed for projects. In such cases, the extra money is returned to the FAA.
There are other ways to make up the money, Muia said. The money needed could either be rolled into a grant application with the FAA for phase two of the taxiway extension project or the airport could go ahead and pay the sum and get reimbursed by the FAA later. Evans said the airport has $20,000 it could spend if needed.
Evans had board members go ahead and sign contracts with Ludwig and Fleming and said he will schedule a pre-construction conference with the two firms soon. Previously, Evans has estimated construction on phase one would begin in the end of July. Now, he is unsure of the start date because of the delay in funding.
He said he would like to get the project started as soon as possible, because the construction will take 50 days and the weather will soon begin to interfere with the paving. Evans said the work will not start until at least the end of August.
Also Wednesday, Evans presented his two ideas for the new terminal building.
The first suggestion calls for using the current building’s site, which is along the south side of county road 100 South. The existing building would be razed, and a new two-story building would be constructed and connected to the maintenance bay. Such a building could house a restaurant on the second level. This option has an estimated cost of $1 million.
The second option would be a one-story structure built mid-field, east of the Tee-Hanger area and west of the Automated Weather Observation System. This building could not be two stories because it would block the AWOS wind sensor. The estimated would be $1.5 million.
Evans said the restaurant idea could still be a possibility with the single-story structure, however, the water and sanitary sewer lines would be a concern. The system the airport currently has could not support large numbers of restaurant customers. The sewer and water lines would either need to be extended from the city’s lines or a mound system would need to built. The utilities, which would cost about $144,000, would be the biggest part of the expense for either building.
In other business, the board announced the 16th Annual Fly-In will be held Saturday, Aug. 28, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the airport.
Free all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage will be offered in the morning, and whole-hog sausages will be available in the afternoon. Donations will be accepted.
The Arch Bridge Kroozers also will be at the airport that day from 8 a.m. to noon. Airplane rides are $8 per person, and helicopter rides are $25 for adults and $20 for children 6 and under.
Also during Wednesday’s meeting:
•Board members signed an agreement with Mid-States Engineering for construction and residential inspection for phase one of the taxiway extension project.
The previous contract the company had with the airport only covered the design aspect of the project. The residential inspector will be on-hand during construction to answer questions, observe and record construction activity and make sure the project meets all standards set by the FAA and the state. The cost for the construction and inspector is $103,000, which will be paid by the airport. This is part of the airport’s 2.5 percent portion of the cost of phase one.[[In-content Ad]]Mid-States Engineering director of grant administration Maria Muia suggested Wednesday the Portland Aviation Board begin looking into ways to keep deer away from the Portland Municipal Airport.
Airport manager Dave Miller said this morning, deer running across the runway has increasingly become a problem over the years, especially in the fall. The problem hasn’t yet become hazardous, however, as no airplanes have struck a deer.
“(The deer problem) is something we want to nip in the (bud) before it becomes a hazard,” said Miller.
Muia suggested the airport begin keeping a wildlife log, to increase the possibility of getting funding through the Transportation Security Administration for taller fences to keep the deer away.
She said whenever an animal comes onto the property, it should be recorded. The information could later be turned into the TSA, which might award the airport discretionary funds for the fences.
“A fence won’t keep terrorists out, but it will keep deer out,” said Muia.
In other business, Mid-States Engineering project engineer Mike Evans said two years ago the board had an environmental assessment done on 76 acres, which would need to be purchased for phase two of the taxiway and runway extension projects. Since that time, nothing has been done with the findings.
If the board would still like to purchase the land, a new environmental assessment would need to be done because the standards have become much more strict and the old assessment would no longer be valid, said Muia.
“You can’t do the extension projects until you have an environmental assessment done,” she said.
Also, if the airport wants to buy the acreage in two years, plans for funding should be in the works immediately. She suggested seeking federal funding for the project. Showing the government the airport needs the extension through documentation could increase the chances of getting the money. She said if 250 jet or turbo aircrafts used the airport per year and needed the extra 1,000 feet the runway extension and phase two of the taxiway extension would provide, this would be considered a substantial need.
Board president Glynn Barber said his proposed extreme sports park might increase the number of larger aircrafts using the airport. He said he would have a media package for his project ready for federal officials by Sept. 16.
After the meeting, Evans said the FAA only grants each airport $150,000 per year for Airport Improvement Programs, which is the category the extensions would fall under. He said the airport should get a lobbyist in Washington to add the request for more money to the national transportation bill.
The board will hold an executive session Wednesday, Aug. 25, at 3:30 p.m. in the airport meeting room to discuss the purchase of the land needed for phase two of the taxiway and runway extension projects. Barber said the board hasn’t moved forward on the projects because it has been waiting on land appraisals.
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