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Elkhart City aviation board approves maintenance contracts, CDL training and grant reimbursements
Summary
At its Feb. 25 meeting the Elkhart City aviation board approved $77,845.20 in claims, awarded a roughly $97,000 contract to 4 T Door for South Side maintenance building doors, authorized CDL training for three maintenance staff via a budget transfer, and approved BFNS invoices to be submitted for FAA/INDOT reimbursement.
The Elkhart City aviation board on Feb. 25 approved a series of routine and capital items, including claims, contractor payments tied to T-hangar work and a maintenance-building door replacement, and authorized training and travel for airport staff.
City board members voted to approve claims totaling $77,845.20 and to pay an invoice from BFNS tied to the T-hangar project that staff said will be submitted under AIP 40 for 95% FAA reimbursement and a smaller INDOT reimbursement, leaving a local share of about $779.16. "This is invoices in conjunction with the T-hangar project," a staff member summarized during discussion, adding the FAA reimbursement would cover most of the cost.
In maintenance work, the board voted to award a quote from 4 T Door to replace overhead garage doors, operators and tracks at the South Side maintenance building. The low bid arrived at about $97,000, under the $100,000 estimate, and includes three overhead doors, three entry doors and an added steel man-door to meet modern egress and code requirements.
Airport staff reported operational updates: a new airfield maintenance technician, Robert Balmer, started Feb. 5; T-hangar construction is nearly complete with a final walkthrough expected soon; and a regulator that lets the control tower operate field lighting was destroyed by a lightning strike and has been rebuilt and installed in a new vault. Staff also said some external vault wiring melted for reasons under investigation and that the city may seek an insurance payment if the damage relates to the lightning strike. "The regulator ... was destroyed, with the lightning strike," said Andy, an airport staff speaker, describing the incident and ensuing repairs.
The board approved a request to transfer budget funds to pay for Commercial Driver's License training for three maintenance employees. Staff said the budget initially covered one trainee but turnover made training for three necessary; the requested transfer would move unused tower liability funds into education. Board members noted the city has a clawback policy requiring prorated repayment of training costs if an employee leaves the city's service within an agreed period.
Board members also approved sending airport staff member Andy to the American Association of Airport Executives conference in Los Angeles in May, with staff saying travel and education funds should cover the approximately $5,000 cost.
During grant and data discussions, staff described the Motion Information Systems traffic-counting software used under a four-year INDOT grant. They said the system automates data collection, provides geofencing and after-hours counts, and helped justify approximately $50,000 in runway grooving work by documenting jet operations above a threshold used by funding authorities.
A BFNS general-services invoice for $3,120 to cover capital improvement plan development, attendance at a CIP meeting with INDOT and 2.25 hours of technical review by Samantha Gross was approved. Staff said $303.75 of that invoice covered the technical review assistance needed when original permitting documents could not be found and were recovered from the IDEM site.
The meeting closed after public comments by members of the aviation community reporting progress on private hangar construction and permitting follow-ups. A motion to adjourn carried.
