10/07/10 The Plymouth Aviation Board considered two quotes on Tuesday night for needed repairs to the cracks on the runway at the local airport. Although the regular monthly meeting had been scheduled for October 12, it was moved up by one week. Referring to the need to make the repairs before the temperatures drop, Board Predient Tom Flynn said, “We moved the meeting ahead due to the time limits.”
Presenting the quotes was consultant Chris Snyder of Woolpert, Inc. Snyder said the low quote was from F.E. Harding Company in the amount of $19,640.80 plus additional monies to cover additives that must be mixed into the asphalt making the total was approximately $24,000. The only other quote was from Phend & Brown at $44,790.58.
Snyder informed the board that he had contacted the Harding Company to make certain that all of the specifications were included in their bids since it was considerately lower than Phend & Brown. According to Snyder, the Harding representative’s only concern was that the board could reduce the quantities to be repaired. Snyder said, “I don’t anticipate the number going down. If anything it would go up.”
Snyder said the company had discussed bringing asphalt from their plant in Indianapolis; however, Snyder said he informed them that it wouldn’t work in this type of weather and they would have to use a local asphalt company.
As an additional safeguard, Snyder said he and Airport Manger Dave Lattimer met with the Harding estimator for a pre-construction meeting.
The Board voted unanimously in favor of awarding the project to F.E. Harding Company.
The work could begin as soon as October 18, according to Snyder; however, there is still some needed paperwork that needs to be supplied by the company as well as coordination with a local asphalt supplier.
The board members also addressed a response that was received on September 29 from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) concerning complaints filed by Marshall County resident Stephen Engel. In his letter to the FAA dated March 18. 2010, Engel alleged that there have been violation of Plymouth Municipal Airport’s grant assurances.
Although many of the complaints were denied by Gregory Sweeny of the FAA, he did include a proposal that would give Engel hanger space for maintenance and a reasonable amount of time to restore his Cessna 152 to an airworthy condition. If the aircraft is not restored in the negotiated time then the BOAC can order the aircraft be removed from the airport.”(The aircraft has been tied down outside of a hanger since early in 2009 following a court order to allow the BOAC to evict Engel from the airport. )
The BOAC agreed to follow the recommendation by providing Engel 30 days after an agreement is reached with Plymouth City Attorney Nelson Chipman, Lattimer and Engel.
According to Lattimer, Engel’s name is on a waiting list for a hanger, but no hanger space is available at this time.
Since 1982 the airport has received approximately $3.2 million in federal airport improvement grant funds for airport planning, for runway, taxiway, and apron extensions and rehabilitations, for perimeter fencing and for land for runway approach protection. In fiscal year 2010, the airport received a grant for $150,000 to reimburse for land acquisition needed to protect the Runway 10 approach.
