AIRPORT UPDATE … On the right in the center, Williams County Airport Director Brent Wilson is seen giving an update to Williams County Commissioners (on the left) Terry Rummel, Lew Hilkert and Brian Davis. Clerk Anne Retcher was taking the minutes while Williams County IT director Jeremy Suffel and incoming commissioner Bart Westfall sat in on the report given on November 3, 2022.
By: Rebecca Miller
Williams County Commissioners began their Thursday morning, November 3, 2022 with the 8:30 monthly meeting for EMA/911 with Director Apryl McClaine.
As these monthly updates are considered her meeting, they are not on record with the commissioners.
At 9:30, back on record, the commissioners met with Williams County Airport Director Brent Wilson for an update/report.
Besides Commissioners Terry Rummel, Lew Hilkert and Brian Davis, incoming Commissioner Bart Westfall and County IT Director Jeremy Suffel were also present for his report.
Wilson shared numbers that showed since 2002, when the Airport Authority was brought on the scene to facilitate grants, etc., through the present, they have raised almost 8.9 million dollars from federal funding and it has only cost the county 4%.
The most recent administration has come out with another funding of an extra $159,000 for this year and next year for specifically earmarked projects that are only infrastructure or snow removal.
FAA has recommended they get their own snow removal equipment so they will probably use that money for that purpose.
He has an FAA conference next week to go over the ten-year plan. Also, he shared a graph that explained flight operations.
There are two types of flight operations, one that is not tracked, but the second is corporate aircraft that have filed a flight plan and are on record.
He is projecting, based on the last few months, that there will be close to 400 of those this year.
They do have money set aside and plan to use $1500 a year to pay a company called Airport Monitoring Systems to track and keep records for them.
This will give them the opportunity for getting more funding. It also shows the economic impact to the community and that will be helpful as well.
There are quite a few local companies that use the airport regularly. Some that he mentioned include Spanglers, CK Technology, Titan Tire, 20/20, Allied Molded, Jason Dietsch Trailers, Sauder Manufacturing, Edgerton Forge, Century Aviation and Tippman Construction out of Ft. Wayne, as well as Parkview and ProMedica.
These companies are using the airport more and more and they also have executive and charter flights coming and going, which are kept private.
A few of these will be tenants using the new hanger that is being built. One tenant will be bringing four jets with them and one is planning to use a larger jet that will take up more room, costing them more rent.
He projects five years out, a gross of $250,000 to $280,000 in rent.
Wilson also gave a fuel report sharing the profit that has grown due to more traffic at the airport.
He stated that they make the most money on jet fuel. He pointed out that the airport is helping the county economically in ways that many people do not see, sharing that Spanglers sent a letter stating “had they not had the airport and been able to fly in executives, they would have never bought Bit-O-Honey.”
20/20 Custom Molded Plastics has also stated that they would not be able to do the business that they do had this airport not been there.
Both of these companies and a number of others have donated money to the Airport Boosters which has raised over $20,000 in the last 30 days.
“It is not going to cost the county anything to furnish the lobby, conference room pilot’s lounge, restrooms or maintenance room shelving and work bench, as everything has been donated by local companies,” he said, adding that there will be a plaque with their names on it.
At the end of his report, Commissioner Davis said that he has been involved with the airport since before he was a commissioner through the Airport Boosters and he is impressed with the amount of change, growth and expansion there has been and continues to be.
He commended Wilson for his vision and his ability to secure the federal grants which “takes a lot of work, time and dedication.”
He thanked Wilson for all he has done for the airport and the county. Commissioner Hilkert agreed saying that the number of improvements have been enormous.
Wilson said that it “speaks highly of our area when the FAA comes down personally to visit us.
“There is a need here because we are right between Toledo and Ft. Wayne and we fill that void.
Commissioner Rummel said he appreciates the update and as someone who has not been “an airport guy,” he is glad that he and others in the community are seeing that the “big, big investment from the county in order to put the new hanger in” is paying off.
“I kind of went on the premise ‘if you build it, they will come’ and I trust your abilities and what you have done in the past by bringing in the nine million dollars.”
“Anytime you can get nine million dollars coming in for $400,000 that’s a pretty darn good investment for us! So, thank you for your efforts.”
Concerning an update on the building of the new hanger, it is in Phase 2. Wilson said that as of this date, November 3, 2022, they were on day 152 of 180.
They allowed for 36 rain days and have used 6 or 7 so far, and are behind schedule.He explained to the construction crew on November 2 that the roof absolutely has to be on soon so they can do all the inside work over the winter.
The subcontractor has guaranteed that it will be totally enclosed by November 11. He mentioned that there is a per day penalty that they can assess if needed.
There was some discussion between the commissioners, Wilson and Suffel about the electrical, the HVAC and internet access.
Wilson said that he has informed Bell Engineering that he needs to have at least partial occupancy for the main hanger and that work can continue while they are in.
Suffel said they are looking at about $10,000 in infrastructure costs for IT needs.
McClaine was asked if she had any comments or questions and she said that she has one grant already to start on the IT coverage for EMA.
She said they will have to be careful what money is used as it has to be proven to be for EMA and that after they pay for things, they can get 50% reimbursement quarterly.
Suffel said that after the building is basically complete he will be able to assess what kind of a booster is going to cover the building.
A review of how the building is to be used in case of an area disaster was covered and Wilson assured the commissioners that all jet owners are aware that it means their jets would be immediately taken out of the hanger by qualified pilots to make way for emergency personnel.
Wilson pointed out that the offices set aside for EMA “will always be locked. It has its own door and nobody at the airport will have access to that two offices and closet. That’s an EMA thing, their section.”
There will be a conference room that will be available through scheduling for businesses to use, but that is also with the understanding that if there is a national emergency or area disaster, their plane and conference room schedule will be pulled without notice.”
Following the airport report, the commissioners went into executive session to discuss compensation, with Bart Westfall and Brent Wilson remaining for the session.
There was no action taken and the commissioners went into regular session soon after a short recess. In regular session, the following were approved:
- Resolution 276 Supplemental Appropriations
- Resolution 277 Entering into an agreement between Williams County Commissioners and Lucas County Commissioners for the Lucas County Coroner to perform certain necessary autopsies and other necessary services, effective January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023
- Resolution 278 Entering into an IV-E (4-E) Contract between JFS and Turning Point Residential Service for provision of child placement, maximum amount payable is $50,000, term October 26, 2022 through December 31, 2022.
- also signed: Travel request for commissioners to visit Henry County Transportation; monthly report of dogs seized, impounded, surrendered, redeemed and destroyed for October 2022; dog warden report for week of October 24-30, 2022; credit card appropriations for November 2022 for Recorder’s Office; treasurer’s financial statement; monthly financial analysis reports for month ending October 2022; treasurer’s monthly inventory report; and AMP Public Power Partners 2022 update for Asset Retirement Obligation Due Diligence
- minutes for October 31, 2022 and payment of bills
Commissioner Rummel gave a report on the new agreement with the Humane Society and dog warden.
There is an increase of $10,000 per year to cover their shortfalls that they are having “due to on call and overtime and cost of fuel and cost of labor and everything going up.”
Following a few other details, Rummel said, “If the board is willing, I would like to propose that we approve this knowing that we are going to run $10,000 deficit next year.”
“In June or July of next year I would be proposing that we could increase dog tags by $2 per tag in order to offset that deficit.”
He explained that they would make it active in December of 2023 to “give folks plenty of time.”
It was agreed to send the agreement to Prosecutor Katie Zartman and Auditor Vicki Grimm to sign off, then the Humane Society and then back to the commissioners.
Williams County dog tag fees are the lowest of surrounding counties, and they have only been raised once in the past sixteen years.
This proposal will bring the fees up to $18 and the norm in the area is $20 so it will still be less than other counties.
With no further business, the commissioners adjourned.
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com
