Airport eyes slate of improvements in 2017

Airport eyes slate of improvements in 2017

Upgrades, renovations big pieces of budget puzzle

news@theeveningtimes.com

Pipes, heating and air, construction, demolition and insurance shared spots on the West Memphis Airport Commissioners October meeting agenda. Despite the expenses under consideration Commissioners were delighted with some of the fees and surprised with lower insurance costs.

ETI Corp. presented the amendment to the $420,000 south apron expansion. Advertising and bidding for AIP 27 begins in early January.

This project improves the south apron to make more room for the bigger sized jets already using the airport. The project does not open the airport to use by larger aircraft but goes toward meeting updated safety standards.

“This is current FAA policy for operating safely,” said ETI engineer Stacey Morris.

Commissioners approved an 11.9 percent fee for the design, engineering and consultation on the project.

Chairman David Pike noted the engineer expense was a bargain as commissioners approved the expenditure.

The heating and air for an office in Hanger 2 has been off since a gas line was severed and capped during previous construction.

Commissioners approved installation of new threephase electric HVAC before the winter weather sets in. Freezing temperatures caused a ruptured pipe last year.

“The pipe burst because there is no working heat over there,” said Airport Manager Candra Suiter. “I got bids for a new unit.

There is no gas line over there any more.”

Airport Engineer Stacey Morris with ETI reported the AIP 26 master plan update would be complete in the next few weeks. Ironically, one of the problems was the wetlands on the west side of the airport were too wet to survey.

“We are at the end stages of the plan,” said Morris.

“We had issues with the wetlands survey. It had to get dry enough to do it.

Then we had to wait for a new guy to be assigned from the Army Corps of Engineers to get it done.

The report should be ready next month.”

City Attorney David Peeples reviewed a contract for the demolition of the airport control tower. The tower has not been used since the air traffic controller strike during President Ronald Reagan administration. Peeples informed the commission that he would continue to work through revisions with the contractor.

Annual insurance cost for the airport dropped for 2017 compared to the rate this year. Pike noted no accidents

or incidents was a factor in the improved

price.

“The airport liability insurance we’ve always had, their cost went down while their coverage stayed the same,” said Pike. “I don’t think we had a claim, no hanger rash or anything.

That pays off financially

with the insurance.”

Commissioners renewed the insurance.

By John Rech