Aviation board moving forward

It’s been a busy few weeks for Portland Board of Aviation.

On March 6, Portland Redevelopment Commission decided not to vote on a proposal that it pay the $266,400 required for mitigating 555 feet of Alexander Ditch, the next step in beginning the airport’s long planned runway extension.

The commission, which in 2014 pledged $150,000 toward the runway extension, wanted the board and Portland Mayor John Boggs to first seek the rest of the funding elsewhere.

On March 9, Jay County Commissioners denied contributing any funds to the project, concluding that, though it benefits the county, funds to pay for Portland’s portion of the cost of the project should come from the city.

On Monday, Portland City Council pledged to pay any funds toward the project that Portland Redevelopment Commission doesn’t pay. The commission is expected to revisit the issue at its April 3 meeting at Boggs’ request.

The board, however, is presumptively moving forward as if the funds for mitigation will come through.

Jason Clearwaters of Butler Fairman & Seufert, Portland Aviation Board’s engineering firm, provided the board at its meeting Wednesday with a look at what the next step is after the wetland mitigation fee is paid to the State of Indiana.

“I just can’t believe we’re here looking at it,” board president John Lyons said as Clearwaters presented him with preliminary design specifications for the completed runway and the steps needed to extend it from 4,000 feet to 5,500 feet.

Once the mitigation fee is paid, part of the ditch will be enclosed and drained. After which a culvert can be built so the runway can be built over the former site of the ditch.

After that, soil for the planned runway will be even and leveled, which will make way for paving. If everything goes to plan, the runway could be completed in 2021 or 2022. The timeline and plan for the runway’s extension will be finalized by the board’s May meeting, Clearwaters said.

Ninety-five percent of the mitigation fee is reimbursable through the Federal Aviation Administration and Indiana Department of Transportation. The city would use those reimbursed funds to cover its 5% of the runway extension construction, with the FAA (95%) and INDOT (5%) handling the rest.

Also Wednesday, the board approved a new lease for Air Evac, which will become Lutheran Hospital’s new medical helicopter service provider in April.

Lutheran Air, which has had a helicopter stationed at the airport since October 2015, chose not to renew its contract with Air Methods earlier this year.

Air Methods, a private Colorado-based company, has rented living quarters and office space from the airport so it can keep a staff there around the clock to conduct air lifts. That will end at the end of month, after which Air Evac will provide the same service at the beginning of April.

The helicopter can reach anywhere in Jay County in less than eight minutes. Lutheran also has a helicopter stationed in Wabash, with both covering a 150-mile radius from their base.

The lease for Missouri-based Air Evac and Lutheran Air’s helicopter will result in a $2,500 monthly payment to the airport.

In other business, board members Faron Parr, Clyde Bray, Mitch Sutton and Lyons:

•Heard from airport manager Hal Tavzel that Portland’s Trent Finnerty completed his first solo flight Feb. 28. Finnerty is training to become a certified pilot.

•Approved a $28,510 bid from Butler Fairman & Seufert to design phase two of the runway extension, which will include paving and lighting for the runway. Ninety-five percent of that cost will be reimbursed by the FAA and 5% will be reimbursed by INDOT.

•Was informed by Tavzel that the third annual Young Eagles event, where 8- to 17-year-olds can go on a ride-along with a pilot, is planned for June 27.

•Heard from Tavzel that the airport sold $20,983 in fuel since the board’s last meeting.

•Paid $39,925.87 in claims.