Board approves project plan

The airport finalized its list of capital improvements for the next five years.

For at least the next two, the city’s share of the cost of such projects will be cut in half.

Portland Board of Aviation approved its five-year capital improvement plan Wednesday and learned from its engineer that a change in federal funding levels will reduce the local financial commitment.

The capital improvement plan calls for expanding the apron and designing pavement improvements for 4,000 feet of Portland Municipal Airport’s runway in 2026. Paving of the runway is planned for fiscal year 2026.

Other plans include designing and reconstructing the existing apron in 2027 and 2028, respectively. Designing and constructing a wildlife control and security fence would follow in the next two years.

The aviation board also laid out plans for constructing additional T-hangars if additional state funding becomes available.

Jason Clearwaters of engineering firm Butler, Fairman & Seufert also informed the board that the Federal Aviation Administration share for capital improvement projects has increased to 95%. (The change was established by Congress in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that was passed in May. The 95% rate will be in effect for 2025 and ’26.) Indiana Department of Transportation dropped its commitment to 2.5%, which will leave the city responsible for the other 2.5%.

Previously, projects were funded 90% by the FAA, with the other 10% split evenly between state and local sources.

Board members Faron Parr, John Ferguson and Caleb Lutes, absent Clyde Bray, approved applying for $99,632.48 in FAA grant funding for the construction of the apron expansion that is planned for 2025. (The local share for the project would be $2,490.91.)

They also approved submitting the airport’s federal financial report for fiscal year 2024 and a pre-application for the design of the planned apron rehabilitation project.

The board also learned that its allocation for the fourth year of the 2021 federal infrastructure bill will be $137,000.

Tim Homan of Celina, Ohio, visited the meeting to again discuss his goal of constructing a corporate hangar at the airport. He and board members talked about two potential sites for such a hangar, one at the west end of the airport near the fuel farm and the other nearby other hangars.

Homan asked the board to consider the two site options and let him know which one they would prefer. He said he plans on moving forward with building at least an 80-foot by 80-foot hangar.

“I’m excited,” he said. “You guys are doing some cool stuff. It’s pretty neat.”

In other business, the board:

•Voted to affirm that it does not object to APC Towers’ plan to construct a communications tower about 7 miles south-southwest of the airport. Clearwaters said he does not see an issue with the tower.

•Learned the following from airport manager Hal Tavzel:

    —A new electrical vault is likely to be installed late this year or early in 2025. The aviation board approved the purchase of a new vault last month after an electrical issue caused the airport’s runway to be closed for several nights.

    —Crack sealing for the runway was planned for late spring 2025.

•Heard from Tavzel that 6,713 gallons of fuel were sold at the airport in October for $28,633.97. That’s up from 6,185 gallons in October 2023.

•Was reminded by Parr that Portland City Council approved $58,762 in economic development income tax (EDIT) money as matching funds for the apron expansion project at Portland Municipal Airport.

•Paid claims totaling $3,612.07.