Council commits to airport project

The coronavirus pandemic is changing the plans of almost everything and everybody.

However, Portland Municipal Airport’s planned runway extension got a boost Monday when Portland City Council voted to pick up part of the tab for the project.

Council also voted to allow non-essential city employees to utilize 10 sick days in an effort to combat the spread of the virus.

Before construction can begin, the city must pay $266,400 to Indiana Department of Environmental Management for Indiana Wetland Compensatory Mitigation. The mitigation is required because a 555-foot section of Alexander Ditch will be enclosed as part of the project to extend the runway.

Ninety-five percent of the mitigation cost is reimbursable from the Federal Aviation Administration (90%) and Indiana Department of Transportation (5%), said Jason Clearwaters of Butler Fairman & Seufert, Portland Aviation Board’s engineering firm. The reimbursed funds would then be used to pay the city’s 5% portion of the estimated $4.4 million it will cost to extend the airport’s 4,000-foot runway to 5,500 feet.

Portland Redevelopment Commission in 2014 committed $150,000 toward the runway project. Asked for the additional $116,000 on March 6, commission members chose not to vote and instead tasked Portland Mayor John Boggs with seeking the funding from Jay County Commissioners and city council.

Jay County Commissioners refused to help fund the project at their meeting March 6, saying it is the city’s responsibility.

Council, however, unanimously approved to pay any of the $266,400 in needed funds the redevelopment commission refuses to. Its approval came with some protest, however.

“It would have been nice if the (redevelopment) commission voted to give something as well,” council member Dave Golden said prior to voting to approve the funding.

Fellow council member Matt Goldsworthy gave an audible agreement to Golden’s remarks.

It is expected that the development commission will officially vote to award the $150,000 it has already committed to the project, but it could possibly vote to alter that amount at its meeting April 3.

Council also heard an update on the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a death for the first time in Indiana Monday, from Heath Butz of the Jay County Health Department.

Gov. Eric Holcomb on Monday ordered that all restaurants and bars in the state close their dining areas and complete orders for carry-out or delivery only. President Donald Trump also recommended that attendance at non-essential gatherings stay below 10.

Butz explained that “social distancing” will “flatten the curve” — lessen the number of infected at a single time, and thus ease some of the strain on the healthcare system — of COVID-19’s spread.

Mayor John Boggs has closed city hall to the general public but said he is still available to meet by appointment. He recommended staying home when sick but still encouraged Portland residents to support local businesses.

“If we don’t, we’ll be a ghost town in eight weeks,” the mayor said. He also encouraged retail stores to stay open “in some capacity,” whether by appointment or delivery or some other manner, to keep the local economy flowing.

In other business, council members Mike Aker, Michele Brewster, Don Gillespie, Kent McClung, Janet Powers, Golden and Goldsworthy:

•Made various amendments to city ordinances, including adjustments to Portland Police Department’s uniforms and application requirements.

One of the 11 total amendments included the deletion of a previous ordinance requiring any police officer hired to never having been found guilty “of any violations of the law except minor traffic offenses.” Council did not vote to replace that language in any fashion.

Police officers will also no longer have an opportunity to appeal to Portland Board of Works if they are suspended by the police chief, per the council’s vote. Previously a suspended officer was required to go to a hearing before the board of works.

•Gave its blessing to a possible tax abatement for Tyson Foods. The abatement will be for repairing part of its building that was damaged by fire in November. The abatement was forwarded to the city’s tax abatement advisory committee for its review.

•Rezoned the former site for Walmart, 1600 N. U.S. 27, from highway service to industrial. Portland Plan Commission approved the rezoning at its meeting March 5.

John Hemmelgarn, director of Jay/Portland Building & Planning, said during plan commission’s meeting that Pioneer Packaging is looking to buy the property from Columbus, Ohio’s, Georgetown Kentucky Investors. The rezoning is the next step in a possible transaction for the building that has been vacant for several years.

•Approved a partial closure of Morton Street from August 21 to August 30 near Jay County Fairgrounds to prepare the 2020 Tri-State Tractor and Engine Show.

Chris Englehardt of the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Association said so far the organization has not yet postponed or cancelled the Swap and Sell Meet planned for May 13 to 16.