Final work set to begin

Finishing touches on Portland Municipal Airport’s runway extension are expected to begin in the next few weeks.

Portland Board of Aviation learned Wednesday that Milestone Contractors, which handled the second phase of the project, will be back on site to handle seeding and other work that still needs to be completed.

The majority of the work includes reseeding areas along the runway extension where grass did not thrive after it was planted relatively late in the 2022 season. Jason Clearwaters of engineering firm Butler, Fairman and Seufert added that some of the area that needs to be seeded is from the first phase of the project, which was handled by HIS Constructors of Indianapolis.

Clearwaters said his preference would be to have Milestone, which is based in Indianapolis and has an asphalt plant in Portland, handle all of the work. He added that an erosion control blanket would likely need to be used in order for grass to grow properly.

Board members Faron Parr, John Ferguson, Caleb Lutes and Clyde Bray gave their informal approval to using the erosion control blanket at an estimated cost of $18,000. They also informally gave the OK to replace runway end identification lights at the west end of the runway. (Both items will be approved formally via change orders to the project.)

Also approved was a $30,000 increase for Butler, Fairman and Seufert for inspection of the project, which has run over its expected timeframe, and $2,500 for mileage, as well as a $3,972.22 pay request from Milestone.

Related to the project, Clearwaters noted that precision approach path indicators have been repaired and the FAA did its flight check Wednesday. Airport manager Hal Tavzel asked if the airport should consider replacing the indicators, with Clearwaters responding that he would consult with the FAA and seek quotes.

Clearwaters also noted that the airport is still waiting for a release from one of the borrow pit sites from which dirt was used for the first phase of the project. The airport continues to hold back retainage from HIS until the release is provided.

Also Wednesday, Tavzel reported that new equipment for the facility’s automated weather observing system will be installed beginning today. The system has not been working properly for more than a year.

Tavzel noted that a tower officials previously thought would need to be added will not be necessary because the new equipment can be installed on an existing tower. (The new tower was estimated to cost $30,000.)

In other business, the board:

•Heard from airport manager Hal Tavzel that:

—the 1,750-square-foot addition to the Sonrise Aviation hangar is about 90% complete. (Sonrise hopes to also construct a new 6,400-square-foot hangar this year.)

—the airport sold 5,273 gallons of fuel in March for $26,406.88. That’s down from 7,012 gallons of fuel in March 2022.

—several individuals recently earned their pilot’s licenses at the airport and another is scheduled to take the test Friday.

—concrete work in four hangars has been completed.

•Briefly discussed the possibility of constructing a new t-hangar, as all hangars at the airport are currently occupied. Using another airport as an example, Clearwaters said the bid for a 10-unit hangar came in at $775,000. (Grading and concrete work was not included in that bid.)

•OK’d an FAA grant reimbursement request for wildlife hazard assessment and design of phase one of the facility’s apron expansion at a total of $12,150 (90% is paid by the FAA with 5% each from the city and Indiana Department of Transportation). Clearwaters said state officials have indicated that the apron project will likely require the airport to dip into its funds from the 2021 federal infrastructure bill or be delayed for a year.

•Heard from Clearwaters that the airport’s 2023 FAA grant application has been submitted. It would fund the second phase of the apron expansion design.