Notes from the November Logan County Airport Committee Meeting

 

[November 07, 2019] 

Mark Piercy addressed the meeting concerning the TBM maintenance business he wants to bring to the airport. He is looking for some help from the county in building the 80x80 building to expand the maintenance shop to hold 4 aircraft. The cost of the project is approximately $600,000. Piercy said he would personally front $300,000 for parts and tooling to do the work.

The county does not seem inclined to help. It was mentioned that the county could take out a bond to help pay for the project, or part of it, but the bond would have to be repaid by a stream of revenue that would never be interrupted. Rent payments from the business would not qualify, as the business could go out of business and payments would then revert to the taxpayers. The Airport committee would not consider that.

They did suggest that Piercy try to find an insurance policy that would insure repayment of the bond. Mark pointed out that Peoria (Byerly) and Decatur already have buildings ready to go. Mark also pointed out that the airport does not have internet access, and that would be necessary for his business. Cost to run fiber optic from Airport Road is $28,000.

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The county has to write a storm-water pollution prevention plan for the airport. Voted to have Hanson do it for $6,000.

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TIPS meeting: Two members of the airport committee attended the TIPS meeting in October. The next project at the airport will be the ramp rehabilitation in 2020. Cost of the project will be $537,000 with the county share approximately $27,000.

Hanson and the County want the following project to be a full length parallel taxiway. It would have to be done in two phases as the total cost will be over 2 million. First would be from taxiway south to the end. The following year would be from the taxiway north.

Because of this project, the proposed new five bay T-hangar project would be put off a few years. The next project would be rehabilitation of the entrance road to the airport.

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A new issue was discussed. The county will have to sign a new contract for an airport engineer because the FAA now requires that contracts with engineers include specific projects that are proposed.

The County no longer can sign a contract that does not specify specific projects. Even though the contract with Hanson still has several years to go, a new one will have to be signed because of the taxiway project and entrance road.

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The runway paving project is done, but the runway has not been marked. The runway cannot be opened unless marking (painting) is done, and painting cannot be done unless temperature is above 55 degrees. Painting would take approximately 2 days. Grass runway is open temporarily due to the seeding of the area where the two runways meet. If it gets wet, the airport will have to close the grass runway to protect the seeding.

Would have been better to sod that area. Fuel tank project is on hold for parts. Some discussion about adding another tank for jet A fuel. That would have to be done if Mark gets the financing for the TBM project.

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New county board secretary attended the meeting, Brittney Wilson.

[Curtis Fox]