Airport to get new fuel system

Purchasing fuel at Portland Municipal Airport will be made a little easier and more efficient.

Portland Board of Aviation on Wednesday approved the purchase and installation of a new fuel system for the airport that will eliminate some of the problems it has been having with the current device.

The board also approved some concrete work to improve some of its hangars.

Board members John Lyons, Mitch Sutton and Dick Baldauf, absent Jim Runkle, approved the purchase of the new fuel system after hearing a report from airport manager Hal Tavzel.

He told the board members that the current fuel payment system — a QT Pod Model 3000 — has become problematic because it uses a dial-up internet connection. In recent months, the self-service system has had problems with declining credit cards that are valid, thus forcing airport staff to run the payments through an office computer.

In addition, he expressed concern that fuel be available whenever needed for the Lutheran Air medical helicopter that is stationed at the airport.

“We can’t be here around the clock,” said Tavzel, adding that the current system will be obsolete within the next few years.

He proposed purchasing a QT Pod Model 4000 from Dallas-based QT Technologies at a cost of $10,995. That new model would rely on an ethernet line for its connection to the internet and thus provide more reliable service.

Sparling Corporation of Romulus, Michigan, will install the new equipment, which Tavzel said should be in use by the end of 2017. The total cost — $23,005 for the system, installation, travel and training — will be paid for from the airport’s fuel account, which currently has $138,000 in it.

The contract includes a one-year warranty followed by an annual cost of $945 for service, which will include 24/7 customer support.

“I think if we’re having problems with the current system, if it’s obsolete or soon to be … I’d rather throw that money at a new system,” said Sutton.

“I couldn’t agree more,” said Lyons.

Board members also approved $5,430 in work by T J Concrete Construction, Portland, to improve hangars.

It will include new approaches to a couple of hangar entrances, new concrete to be poured at the rear of a hangar and the addition of some stone.

Tavzel also reported that he recently had Brewster Electric do some lighting work, fixing the strobes at the end of the runways and replacing a bulb in a rotating beacon.

Jason Clearwaters of Butler, Fairman and Seufert, the airport’s engineering firm, reported that the Federal Aviation Administration responded to an inquiry about the status of the airport layout plan by saying it did not have access to all of the relevant documents. Clearwaters said links to the online information have been re-sent.

He also noted that FFA representatives visited the airport on Sept. 26 to review its five-year plan.

In other business, the board:

•Heard from Tavzel that the airport brought in $22,519 on 5,875 gallons of fuel sold in September. That’s down from $23,677.18 from the same time last year.

•Was reminded by Clearwaters that the Aviation Indiana Conference begins Tuesday in Michigan City.

•Paid $17,527.25 in claims.