At Tuesday night’s Warsaw Board of Aviation Commissioners the board approved a new lease agreement with Zimmer Inc. and approved further work on the runway project.
The board sent a finished lease agreement to Zimmer Inc. in which the lease amount would stay the same at $3,639.83 and there would be a 24-month opt out clause.
Within the clause, if Zimmer wants to opt out after 24 months they must pay the airport $21,838,98 unless Zimmer is opting out in order to build a new hangar.
Zimmer agreed to the terms of the lease.
In February, the Times-Union reported that Zimmer wanted to have a five-year lease with the 24-month opt out but with no conditions or fees.
The board had a short discussion on the lease and unanimously agreed to approve the lease.
Airport engineer Ken Ross of NGC brought the board up to speed on the progress of the airport expansion.
The airport will extend its runway 500 feet on each side. The project’s completion date isn’t set yet.
Ross informed the board that the deadline for informing the Federal Aviation Administration if the airport will take grant money is May 1.
Ross said that the FAA is fully funded for the year and they do intend to apply for a grant.
Ross also told the board that American Electric Power completed their survey work and their goal is to get a cost analysis back to the board in time to make more important decisions on whether or not to continue with the project.
Within the FAA grant the board has $15,177.64 that needs to be spent before it gets taken back. Ross told the board that if they choose not to do anything with this money they will lose it.
Instead of losing the money, Ross proposed to commission additional costs for environmental consultants, airport layout plans, and costs associated with AEP conceptual designs. The amendment would take the $15,177.64 and appropriate it for those costs.
The task order would save the board from losing the money. The board unanimously approved the task order.
