$80,000 reimbursement sought for airport work
Special from Jim O’Neal, WITZ AM/FM
The Airport Authority is still seeking $80,000 in reimbursement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Woolpert Engineering, the Dubois County Airport Authorities’ engineering firm, has re-submitted paperwork to try to get the $80,000.00 reimbursement for expenses resulting in the removing of obstructions from the west approach runway which was mandated by the FAA.
Woolpert’s Chris Snyder explained that his office is working diligently to try to get the reimbursement from the FAA.
“Right now it’s back in the hands of the FAA in the Chicago ADO (Airport District Office),” said Snyder. “They are taking a second review of it and determining whether or not it would be eligible for reimbursement.”
Representatives from Woolpert, including Snyder met with the FAA in Chicago and obtained approval to re-submit the paperwork for the reimbursement.
Snyder says he thinks the prospects of getting it approved are good, but ultimately, it’s in the hands of the FAA. “As long as the supplemental information is there and they find it satisfactory, then I would anticipate that the environmental would be accepted and that the airport would receive funding,” he explained.
The issue came to a head at last month’s meeting when board member Fred Souders challenged Luke Reynolds, a representative for the engineering firm, about a lapse in procedures that caused the FAA to refuse to reimburse the airport. Wolpert did not include a form seeking other options for the work performed on the environmental assessment portion of the procedures for removing the obstructions.
Snyder’s comments were reassuring to the board, and the only issue raised by Souders last night was to make sure that there are procedures in place to prevent this kind of incident from occurring again. Snyder assured him that there was.
Snyder says he hopes the decision by the FAA would come sooner rather than later.
In other actions by the board:
–Airport Manager Travis McQueen reported comments are being solicited from the public on the proposed cell phone tower on the north side of Ferdinand, which poses a potential approach threat to runway 27 from the east. Comments must be submitted to the FAA by October 28th.
–The Dubois County Council passed the 2016 budget for the airport. It has been sent on to the Department of Local Government Finance in Indianapolis for final approval.
–McQueen informed the board that bids are being opened on the agricultural property that is owned by the airport board for the purpose of leasing the land to grow crops. The goal is to get the highest bid approved so that the land can be farmed beginning in the spring of 2016. Board Attorney Phil Schneider reported that the agricultural leases expire automatically at the end of the year. The board leases out around 170 acres for farming by local farmers. The board will advertise in January so that bids can be accepted in February.
–The board passed a motion to allow the current leases to expire and to advertise for new bids in January.
–The INDOT Office of Aviation has approved the 5% match for the land acquisition for the runway extension project in the amount of $28,100.00. It requires a local match of the same amount. This applies to the Hasenour and Blue Sky property/easement issue.
–The board approved an agreement with the Civil Air Patrol to establish a base for the unit to move back to the airport. Hangar 5 has some offices space available so the board was pleased that the Civil Air Patrol will be back in Dubois County.
–They heard that the Pathways to Flight training is back and that the group has received the fuselage of the plane that they are building from scratch at the airport.
