The Stevensville airport’s fuel farm project is progressing but delays in federal grant paperwork and contractor scheduling mean asphalt maintenance likely will be postponed until 2026, the airport manager told the Town Council on Oct. 9.

Airport maintenance and capital improvement program (CIP) reports delivered by the airport manager, Brian, said the fuel tank project has returned first-round submittals and that grant paperwork for that project is complete. The airport manager said the FAA and other grant administrators were slow to issue offers this year; the late timing and contractor schedules mean asphalt crack repair and a planned seal-coat and remarking cycle likely will not occur before winter. The contractor has agreed to hold 2025 pricing but the airport expects the runway surface to go through the winter without scheduled maintenance.

Brian reported a roughly 36‑hour phone-line outage at the airport in late September that cut two lines the airport relies on for the weather-station ground receiver and the fuel credit-card processor; CenturyLink restored service the next day. He also reported fuel sales figures for September: 2,585 gallons producing about $14,892 in revenue, and a year-to-date total of 8,066 gallons or about $46,418.

On grant funding, Brian said the FAA issued a check for $59,375 toward the new fuel tank and Montana Aeronautics will cover the remaining $2,625, producing no net local cost for that equipment. He said he has not yet received some of the grant funds and that the airport has not received typical communications from grant offices this cycle. The airport manager said the draft airport layout plan is nearly complete and will be shared with council members soon; it includes potential community-focused enhancements such as a viewing area for skydiving spectators.

No council action was required; the report was informational. The airport manager said fuel sales typically decline after the skydiving season and that winter weather and inversions will likely reduce volumes over the next month.