Equipment suggested

With a new wireless connection to its automated weather observing system, Portland Municipal Airport may be looking at an upgrade to the device itself.

Airport manager Hal Tavzel told Portland Board of Aviation members during their meeting Wednesday that he feels they should consider installing a new automated weather observing system (AWOS).

Tavzel explained that typically such systems have a life of about 15 years. The AWOS at Portland Municipal Airport is 23 years old. He suggested investing in new equipment rather than waiting until there are problems because there is a long lead time for the custom-built systems.

“You have to be proactive in planning for this because the equipment is specialized,” said Tavzel. “You have to have it custom made. You basically get in line to get the equipment in before you can start building.”

Jason Clearwaters of engineering firm Butler, Fairman & Seufert estimated that the cost of such a new system would be about $180,000. (His firm recently assisted another facility with bids for a new AWOS.)

Clearwaters added that the city could consider using its 2025 and ’26 funding allocations from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for such a purchase.

Discussing other projects, Clearwaters said the airport’s new electrical vault is expected to be in next month and construction on the apron expansion project is targeted to begin in late summer.

Butler, Fairman & Seufert is also working on an agreement for the design of a runway paving project at the airport. A pre-application for federal funding for the project has already been turned in to the Federal Aviation Administration, with the final application due April 28.

In other business, the board:

•Learned from Tavzel that the airport sold 4,973 gallons of fuel in November for $21,488.36. That’s up from the 4,571 gallons it sold in November 2023.

•Heard Ferguson ask about Celina, Ohio, resident Tim Homan, who has expressed interest in constructing a hangar at the airport. Parr said he doesn’t think anything has changed with Homan’s plans.

•Approved payment of claims totaling $4,793.07.