Board of Aviation Commissioners President Jay Rigdon listens to Airport Manager Nick King speak during the board’s monthly meeting Tuesday, April 9.

WARSAW — The Board of Aviation Commissioners extended four hangar leases and approved a land maintenance memorandum of agreement during its meeting Tuesday, April 9.

Hangar leases for Jim Nolan, Greg White, Steve Ashton, and John Ries were extended and approved by the board.

“These tenants are so far in good standing with the airport,” said Airport Manager Nick King. “They always pay their bills on time and we’ve never had any issues with them.”

King also brought a land maintenance memorandum of agreement before the board. The MOA is for land located on the east side of the airport.

“We’ve never received any bids for that land to be farmed in the past because the soil isn’t very good,” said King. “For the past couple of years, we have had to maintain that field by fixing wash-out areas and keeping the land in good order.”

King said Cory Romine approached him regarding an MOA where Romine will maintain the land if he can have the rights to farm the land for hay.

“It’s costing the airport to maintain that land currently, and he’s willing to do that for free,” said King. “In the end, it’s a win-win situation for both parties.”

King said that since the property would be mowed two to three times a year, it would reduce the amount of wildlife in the area.

The board approved a five-year MOA with Romine for the land.

In other business, King brought forward information regarding the airport’s contract with DBT Transportation Services for the instrument landing system and automated weather observation service. The contract with DBT ended in August 2018. Since that time, DBT never brought forward a new contract to the airport.

“They had continued providing the same services to us after August, but we weren’t under a contract at that point,” said King. “They would like to re-up the contract for two years.”

The contract includes monthly checks on the airport’s instrument landing system and quarterly checks on the automated weather observation service. The board approved the continuation of the airport’s contract with DBT for the next two years.

The board also discussed the purchase of two Toro lawn mowers for the airport, as well as the possibility of trading in mowers every two years.

Board President Jay Rigdon asked King to bring forth an agreement in writing to next month’s meeting regarding the mowers.

Ken Ross, NGC Aviation Consultants, also gave a brief update to the board regarding feedback from the Federal Aviation Administration on the airport’s upcoming projects.

Ross received a letter from American Electric Power on March 28 with final conceptual designs for elevations and locations for the power lines at the airport. The FAA accepted that letter from AEP on April 3.

Ross also told the board that Congressman Jim Banks and Senator Todd Young sent letters of support to the FAA for supplemental funding for the project. Rigdon said Mayor Joe Thallemer also reached out to Senator Mike Braun’s office to get a similar letter of support.

At the end of the meeting, Council Representative Ron Shoemaker asked the board about the possibility of self-service fuel at the airport.

“Would we sell more fuel that way?” asked Shoemaker.

King said the initial cost of self-service fuel at the airport is an issue.

“Jets don’t do self-service,” said King. “I’ve looked at it, but right now it’s cost-prohibitive.”

The board’s next meeting will be at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, May 14.