Commissioners approve bid process for airport projects; staff briefed on fuel sales, grant and contamination testing

Gratiot County commissioners authorized staff to solicit bids for multiple airport projects and received an operational update from airport staff, who reported improved fuel sales, a $55,000 state grant for taxiway work and ongoing groundwater testing related to former underground storage tanks.

Airport representative Dennis reviewed January activity and sales figures: the airport sold 521 gallons of Jet A fuel in the month, up from 356 gallons in the same period last year, and sold nearly 900 gallons of 100LL avgas compared with about 342 gallons the prior year. Dennis said a flight from Alabama bought roughly 300 gallons of Jet A while retrieving a prisoner; the sales spike was included in the month’s total.

Dennis briefed commissioners on near-term procurement: a pre-bid meeting for taxiway replacement is set for Feb. 10, with bids due Feb. 24, and the county plans to solicit bids for terminal improvements and other site work. He said the state airport commission approved a grant for $55,000 to assist with taxiway repair costs that were ineligible for federal funding because of proximity to private hangars.

On environmental matters, Dennis described recent testing around removed underground storage tanks: four sampling sites near the ramp showed contamination levels that triggered follow-up work. He said the former tank owner’s underground storage tank insurance policy provides up to $1 million for cleanup with a $2,000 deductible. The county has engaged Triterra to begin subsurface investigation; Triterra will use ground-penetrating equipment to locate utilities and drill monitoring wells to collect quarterly samples.

Dennis also discussed routine maintenance: meter calibration and filter replacement for the county’s fuel farm are recommended and may be done by the original installer (identified in the meeting as Sparling/Spartan Corp.; the transcript used both spellings).

Commissioner Jan moved, and Commissioner Tim seconded, a motion to proceed with bids for airport projects. The motion passed on an oral vote with no recorded opposition.

County staff said some terminal upgrades under consideration include water-treatment improvements, LED lighting, parking-lot lights, security cameras and Internet access for pilots; a final scope and budget will be developed through the bid process. Staff also noted vegetation management on 10 acres north of Runway 18 and removal of an unused transmitter along Eli Highway as separate maintenance items under consideration for bidding or local contracting.