WARSAW — Members of the Warsaw Board of Aviation Commissioners for the Warsaw Municipal Airport approved the 2016-2022 Airport Capital Improvement Program during Tuesday evening’s regular monthly meeting, Jan. 12.

The CIP includes budgeting for power line relocation in 2017 and 2018, and the design phase of a tunnel concept for the CR 100E road relocation in 2019. The road relocation is also in the program for construction in 2020 and 2021. Rehabilitation of a runway is slated for 2019. Other major projects include construction of an aircraft apron and construction on a new terminal/administration building in 2022.

Projected costs of the power line relocation is estimated at $5,590,130, while the design and construction of CR 100E tunnel concept is estimated at $9,087,527. These projections will be funded with discretionary funds and matching state and local funds.

The CIP subtotal for 2017-2021 is estimated at $15,602,153, while the 2022 projects are estimated at $8,131,111.

The CIP was presented by Ken Ross, NGC Corp., airport engineer. He reported a phone conference regarding the relocation of power lines, east of the airport, is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 19, with various officials. Another phone conference will be set up with AEP officials to receive a cost estimate update. He reported Indiana Department of Transportation is still seriously thinking about the power line relocation project for 2017.

Jay Rigdon, commission president, stated, “the priorities are the same as they have been,” about the CIP.

During other business, the airport is the first department in the city to utilize the new fiber optic service and the Voice Over Internet Protocol service. A contract was approved with Broadvoice to provide VOIP service.

Nick King, airport manager, reported Broadvoice costs were the lowest available. He stated currently the airport is paying $668.13 a month with CenturyLink for phone service, with Broadvoice the monthly fee is $187.43, a savings of over $5,000 a year with better service and voicemail availability. Currently there is no way to forward telephone calls when no one is available. Broadvoice offers an automatic system set up to forward calls to another number, as well as individual voice mail. It will also allow small problems with the instrument and weather systems to be handled over the Internet.

King said there is an upfront cost of $754.15 and includes four phones. Officials with the company, which is in Los Angeles, Calif., will program the phones, then ship the phones to the airport. All airport staff will need to do is plug in the phone.

Due to FAA regulations the airport must have a payphone. King was given permission to replace the pay phone with a regular phone at a lower cost. The fee for the payphone is $45 per month and it has not been used in 14 years. With Broadvoice, any phone can be purchased and used at a $9.95 per month fee. Any calls made to outside the U.S. would be 2.3 cents per minute.

“If they make a call for one hour a day, it is still less than what we are paying now,” said King.

“It is better service for our customers, easy work for the employees and less money,” stated Rigdon.

Other business included welcoming Ron Shoemaker as the city council appointment to the commission as a non-voting member; re-electing Rigdon as president; John Yingling, as vice president; and Gene Zale as secretary.

The next meeting of the commission will be at 5:15 p.m. Feb. 9.