Gardner City airport manager outlines wildlife fence, fuel and maintenance priorities as budget stays flat

Airport Manager Isabelle told members of the Gardner City Airport Commission on Tuesday that a MassDOT aeronautical and wildlife assessment at the municipal airport found wildlife hazards that likely will require a new fence and follow-up engineering work, and she urged commissioners to prioritize a small set of maintenance items now that the city budget is expected to remain flat.

The assessment included a wildlife survey and an aeronautical facilities review conducted in 2024, Isabelle said. “I had to sign a document that the state needed for the Mass aeronautical study,” she said. The airport manager said the study team walked the runway and taxiway, measured edge drop-offs and documented animal activity; she said a future fence on the west side of the runway would likely need to be about 10 feet high.

Why it matters: the assessment could lead to construction or mitigation measures paid in part by state or federal programs but requiring coordination with engineers, permitting and local spending. With the city’s near-term budget holding “flat,” Isabelle told commissioners the airport must pick a narrow set of immediate priorities to request funding for in the next budget cycle.

Most important facts

Isabelle said the MassDOT-linked study included a wildlife component and an aeronautical facilities review, and that state paperwork and vouchers are being processed to reimburse work done at the airport. She said engineers will estimate costs and prepare bid documents if construction is required. “They have to work with the state and the feds and get the kinks worked out,” Isabelle said.

On wildlife and fence work, Isabelle described sightings of geese and turtles on and near the runway and said the consultant’s report will likely recommend a high fence along the west side of the runway. “Based on what she writes in her report … it’ll probably be a 10 foot high fence,” Isabelle said. The airport manager also cautioned that protection of turtles will depend on wetlands rules and on where nesting or sandy habitat occurs.

Budget and maintenance priorities

Isabelle told commissioners that the city budget is essentially unchanged from the prior year. “Since the city is poor this year and next year, our budget will stay flat,” she said. With limited funds available, she asked the commission to prioritize the most safety-critical items: annual fuel-farm inspection/kiosk (the “QT pod”) and fire extinguisher inspections, plus a basic spill kit container to hold existing absorbent materials. She said the QT pod annual inspection and filter change runs about $1,600 and that an additional $1,600 bill was charged last year when a fuel-farm float issue required work.

Operational details and short-term spending

Isabelle reported the airport received roughly 3,000 gallons of fuel (2,996 gallons) and paid about $4.75 per gallon; the pump price was set at $5.75 per gallon. She said the on‑site fuel account balance was “56” (not further specified in the meeting). The airport paid $350 to repair a gate keypad motherboard; the vendor noted replacement parts are no longer available and a future failure could require replacement of the entire gate unit.

Equipment and facility items discussed included the following priority items Isabelle recommended for current funding consideration: annual fire‑extinguisher inspection; QT pod/fuel farm annual inspection and filter change (about $1,600); and a spill‑kit container to centralize existing absorbents. She said other repairs — a cracked housing on a mower gang, hanger door trim, alarm-phone integration, and panel replacements — are on a longer list to be addressed if additional funds are obtained.

Process and next steps

Commissioners discussed how to request money in time for next year’s budget cycle. Isabelle said capital or budget requests must include dollar estimates to be considered by the finance committee. Commissioner (Speaker 1) and other members pressed for a clear “pecking order” of needs so the commission can ask the city finance committee for specific items; Isabelle said she will supply the required cost estimates. “If you don’t ask for it, you will not get it,” one member said during the meeting.

Formal actions

The commission approved the minutes from the May meeting by consensus and the airport manager reported that she and the mayor have signed payment vouchers related to the aeronautical study and wildlife assessment; those vouchers will reimburse the city for study costs, Isabelle said. A lease form from a hangar tenant (identified in discussion as Dakota/Eddie Olsen) was circulated for signatures but no final vote on lease terms was recorded during the meeting.

The meeting also scheduled follow-up: Isabelle will return with a prioritized, costed list for the finance committee and the commission will consider formal budget requests in the upcoming budget cycle.

Ending

Commissioners adjourned after about an hour of operational updates and direction for staff to prepare a prioritized, dollarized list of repairs and safety items for the budget process. The commission set its next meeting date as July 7 and asked the airport manager to bring cost estimates for the items discussed.