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Advisory committee begins fuel‑system review, raises reliability and theft concerns for unmanned stations
Summary
A board member said he’s evaluating four fuel‑management vendors and asked staff for historical fuel-use and cost data. Members raised concerns about unattended pump reliability, card‑payment fees, theft and the need for backup procedures; a pump camera system and reporting functionality were discussed.
The Boyne City Airport Advisory Committee is evaluating options to modernize its fuel‑management system and asked staff for historical usage and cost data to finish a vendor recommendation.
A committee member leading the evaluation said he has identified four potential vendors and plans to base recommendations on serviceability, local support and economic viability. He asked staff for details including annual gallons sold, current suppliers, and how much the airport pays for fuel and fuel‑related services so the evaluation can include realistic projections.
Members expressed concern about implementing a card‑based unattended system at an unmanned airport. One board member said pilots have previously arrived and found pumps out of service and that card systems sometimes fail; others pointed to theft and reconciliation problems. "If we had a real system here, I would be able to go back five years, 10 years and tell you accurately," a member said, urging that historical sales and reconciliation data be provided before choosing a system. The committee also discussed credit‑card fees, the potential for cameras to deter nonpayment, and the importance of fallback procedures or a staffed backup to ensure safety and reliability.
The meeting noted a new pump camera has been ordered and installed; members debated whether board members should have access to the camera feed and whether a public webcam showing runway/ramp status would be beneficial. The committee agreed to gather data and continue vendor evaluation before making a recommendation to the city commission.
Why it matters: The fuel system is the airport’s primary revenue stream and affects safety and operations at an unmanned field. Reliability, theft prevention and accurate financial reporting are prerequisites for both operational security and sound fiscal planning.
Next steps: Staff to provide fuel‑sales history, invoice and supplier data; the evaluation lead will refine vendor scoring and return with a recommendation.
