Airport Authority: No bathrooms, just wheels
The Dubois County Airport Authority decided $150,000 for bathrooms near the fuel pumps was too expensive.
The question about adding the facilities came up at last month’s meeting when pilot Jim Kulbeth informed the authority the 1,400 feet distance between the fueling station and bathrooms was causing problems for passengers and pilots seeking to off-load and refuel.
Kulbeth told the authority he had seen several people relieving themselves near the fuel pumps. He had also assisted by driving a group he noticed frantically making a run for the terminal bathrooms.
Based on Kulbeth’s experiences, the airport authority instructed Woolpert Engineering to come up with plans and estimates.
Monday, Woolpert associate Nick Isenberg told the authority constructing new bathrooms that meet federal guidelines would cost in the neighborhood of $150,000.
Seeing that 1,400 feet isn’t worth $150,000, the board decided to go with the much less expensive option of purchasing a four-seat golf cart for $5,500. The gas-powered cart will be available at the pumps as courtesy transportation to the public terminal.
The cart will be a short term fix as the authority could possibly consider bathrooms sometime down the road.
Also in the meeting, Airport Manager Travis McQueen requested and was given permission to offer a discount on fuel for aircraft stopping in Huntingburg while flying to and from the Oshkosh Air show in Wisconsin from July 25 to 31st this month.
The authority has approved the discount in the past due to the additional traffic and fuel sales it produces at the airport during that time.
According to McQueen, the 15 cent discount offered to those aircraft is enough to attract them to the area.
Nick Isenberg had nothing new to report on the runway extension project, other than to remind the board that the Airport Layout Plan has been approved. He said he would have more on the topic at next month’s meeting.
