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Surge in fuel sales leaves Plymouth airport short on cash; board weighs ordinance change
Summary
A spike in fuel sales left the airport'controlled aviation rotary fund under a longstanding $50,000 year'end rule, creating a cash'flow gap that briefly prevented full fuel orders. The board asked staff to pursue interim fixes, gain better fund visibility and recommend an ordinance amendment to raise the retained balance.
Board members warned on July 13 that unexpectedly strong fuel sales put the airport at risk of running short of fuel because of a city ordinance that requires the aviation rotary fund to be reduced to $50,000 at fiscal year end and transfers the remainder out of the fund.
Airport operations staff reported June fuel sales of $53,000 and 5,900 gallons, the largest single'month gallons total on record. "For June, we had $53,000 in sales," the airport manager (S3) told the board. He said having to order both jet fuel and 100LL at once left the airport short of cash to place full tanker orders and forced a split (half) load that delayed deliveries and increased cost.
Board members explained the cash shortfall arises in part from an older municipal ordinance that directs that inventory plus cash in the aviation rotary fund be brought down to $50,000 at year end, with the balance transferred out to the general aviation fund or city accounts. Staff said that timing lags in credit card processing and monthly rollups of receipts mean receipts are not immediately available for purchases. Trial balances cited in the meeting showed a general aviation fund cash balance of $336,000.52 and an aviation rotary fund balance of $58,006.20 as of June 30, 2026.
Members discussed short'term steps to avoid interruptions in service: placing orders as soon as rolled funds become available, asking the clerk/treasurer to expedite monthly rollovers where possible, and allowing staff limited interim authority to place fuel orders. They also discussed long'term solutions: amending the ordinance to retain a higher year'end balance (board members suggested a floor of at least $100,000 or a multi'month sales formula) and improving operational visibility by giving airport staff access to the accounting spreadsheet used by the clerk/treasurer.
The board directed staff to work with the clerk/treasurer to determine an appropriate retention amount and to draft an ordinance amendment for recommendation to the city council. In the short term staff said they would try to place orders promptly and coordinate with treasury to avoid service interruptions during busy periods such as Oshkosh and homecoming weekend.
The board heard that transient activity (a helicopter doing power'line work and larger corporate jets) amplified demand unpredictably; members described the problem as "a good problem" that needs a bookkeeping and policy fix, not an operational limitation.
