Elkhart City aviation board approves T-hangar payments, grounding audit and insurance renewal; declines terrorism clause

ELKHART CITY — The Elkhart City Board of Aviation Commissioners met Jan. 28 and approved a package of routine airport business, including progress payments for T-hangar construction, a grounding-audit and hardware-installation contract for the air traffic control tower, and renewal of the tower's liability insurance without the optional war/terrorism clause.

The board met virtually and established a quorum before taking votes on the agenda, minutes and claims. In the airport manager's report, the manager said a new employee, Robert Ballmer, "will start on February 9" and described operational impacts from a county-declared snow emergency, equipment damage from lightning, and an ongoing controller vacancy at the tower.

The meeting's most consequential actions were related to airport infrastructure and risk coverage. The board approved Progress Estimate No. 8 for the 70-series T-hangar project, authorizing payment to New Tech Construction in the amount of $466,375.01 and granting the board president authority to sign the payment documents. The board also approved a related agreement for AP connection on the 70-series T-hangars and ratified a prior board president signature dated Jan. 6, 2026.

After discussion of insurance options, the board renewed the air traffic control tower liability policy and voted to decline the optional war/terrorism endorsement. An insurance representative present for the discussion said the clause "adds, I wanna say, about $5,000 to it annually" and then clarified "About 3,000." The representative recommended declining the clause; the board adopted that recommendation.

On storm-related damage, the board approved a quote from ERS Wireless for a grounding audit and hardware installation at the tower in the amount of $11,539.50, pending legal approval. The airport manager said the insurer has reviewed the submission because the damage was related to recent lightning strikes.

The board also approved an AIP 41 pay request for INDOT reimbursement to EKM; the transcript recorded the amount inconsistently (one read $66,656.33, another $6,656.33). The board moved to approve the pay request and authorized the board president to sign, but the dollar discrepancy was not resolved on the record and remains unclear from the meeting transcript.

Other housekeeping items — approval of the agenda, minutes for Dec. 31, 2025, and the claims docket — were carried by roll call votes. The airport manager reported equipment purchases in progress (including a Kubota with attachments and maintenance garage door work), noted the automation AWOS outage, and said Central Garage was repairing the airport's snowblower.

The board adjourned after roughly a brief, procedurally focused meeting. No public-comment controversy or policy change was introduced; votes were routine approvals and contained no recorded dissents in the roll calls taken.

Votes at a glance: The transcript records the following formal actions and outcomes (all motions passed by roll call unless noted):

• Approval of agenda — moved and seconded; passed by roll call. • Approval of minutes (Dec. 31, 2025) — moved and seconded; passed by roll call. • Approval of claims/allowance docket — moved and seconded; passed by roll call. • Approval of 70-series T-hangar AP connection agreement and ratification of the board president's Jan. 6 signature — moved, amended to ratify the signature, seconded; passed. • Renewal of air traffic control tower liability insurance and decline of the optional war/terrorism clause — moved, amended to decline the clause; passed. • Approval of ERS Wireless grounding audit and hardware-installation quote of $11,539.50 (pending legal approval) — moved and seconded; passed. • AIP 41 pay request for INDOT reimbursement to EKM — moved and seconded; passed. (Transcript shows inconsistent amounts: $66,656.33 and $6,656.33; amount unclear.) • Approval of Progress Estimate No. 8 to New Tech Construction for $466,375.01 (70-series T-hangar project) — moved and seconded; passed.

What to watch next: The airport manager flagged ongoing recruitment for one air traffic controller, awaited final quotes/awards for capital equipment and garage door work, and said the city will pursue reimbursement for snow-emergency expenses. The indeterminate pay-request dollar on the INDOT/ EKM item should be confirmed in the official minutes or payment documentation.

Reporting note: Quotes and attributions in this story are drawn from the meeting transcript. The transcript includes a conflicting read on one pay-request amount and a verbal estimate of insurance-cost impact that was given as two different figures during discussion; both are reported here in the same words used on the record.