Indiana Airport Apron Work May Still Be Completed This Year
Runway paving is planned for 2027, while apron work may still be completed this year.
Portland Board of Aviation learned Wednesday that the airport was approved for an Indiana Department of Transportation Pavement Maintenance grant for filling cracks and resealing the airport's apron.
INDOT had $5 million in additional funds for aviation-related projects this year and implemented a grant program for pavement maintenance. Airports were eligible for up to $100,000.
Portland Municipal Airport was approved last week for the grant, which requires a 25% match from the city. The project was awarded to American Stripers at a cost of $49,237.
Jason Clearwaters of engineering firm Butler, Fairman & Seufert said it is possible that the project could be completed this year.
Board members Faron Parr, Clyde Bray and John Ferguson approved giving American Stripers notice to proceed with the work as soon as possible. Caleb Lutes was absent.
Also still on the docket for 2026 work is the replacement of the airport’s automated weather observing system. Clearwaters reported that most of the needed equipment is in for the installation, which is expected to take one week.
Already planned for 2027 is a project to pave the original 4,000 feet of the airport runway — it was extended to 5,500 feet in a project completed in 2022 — via a nearly $2 million Federal Aviation Administration grant approved this summer. That work, which was awarded to Brooks Construction of Fort Wayne, will be completed in the spring.
The board also reviewed its capital improvement plan and agreed to prioritize a runway lighting project over a wildlife fence.
The plan lays out potential capital projects over at least a five-year span. An update is due to the FAA by Dec. 1.
The existing plan called for seeking FAA grant funding for design of the apron reconstruction in 2027 followed by construction in 2028, design of new taxiway lighting in 2029 with construction in 2030 and environmental work and design for a wildlife control fence in 2031 and 2032, respectively.
During its September meeting, the board had discussed the possibility of adding a runway lighting project, noting that the lights on the original 4,000 feet of the runway are more than 20 years old. The board agreed Wednesday that they would prefer to pursue the lighting project, seeking grant funding for its design in 2031 and construction in 2032. The wildlife fence work will be pushed back to begin in 2033.
The capital improvement plan also notes possible T-hangar construction, if funding becomes available through a state grant program.
Clearwaters said he will have the updated version of the plan ready for the board to vote on at its Nov. 18 meeting.
Airport manager Hal Tavzel also brought up the possibility of adding concrete to one or more hangars and purchasing a golf cart for the airport.
Tavzel explained that concrete had been added to hangars over several years and there is at least one additional tenant who has expressed interest. He said the golf cart would be used for spraying weeds and for other tasks as needed.
The board asked Tavzel to get quotes for the concrete work and look for a golf cart for potential purchase.
In other business, the board:
•Heard the following from Tavzel:
—The airport sold 13,266 gallons of fuel for $73,465,90 in September. That is a 70% increase over the 7,772 gallons the airport sold during September 2025. The airport has sold more than 42,000 gallons of fuel over the last three months.
—Thirty-two children ages 8 through 17 went on free flights during the Young Eagles event the airport hosted in September despite a three-hour delay because of fog.
—He heard presentations from the FAA, INDOT, airport managers and engineering firms recently at the Aviation Indiana Annual Conference in Elizabeth. “It’s very informative and just really neat to see what other airports are doing,” he said.
•Approved the following: the purchase of a new mower from AMX Motorsports of Portland at a cost of $13,541.26 with a $6,000 trade-in; a project order for Butler, Fairman & Seufert to design the airport’s apron rehabilitation; a $10,108.76 grant pay request; the airport’s annual financial report to be submitted to the FAA; payment of claims totaling $1,709.81.
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