Airport discusses new purchases and new policies

 Upper Cumberland Regional Airport board members discussed the purchase of a new radio during their monthly board meeting, which was held virtually again this month.

“The FAA and FCC have assigned us a new radio frequency that will be effective Oct. 8,” airport manager Dean Selby said, explaining to the board the new frequency was becoming necessary because of congestion on the one they have been using. “We’ve increased business and got more traffic through the area now.”

Selby went on to say the radio the airport has been using won’t accept the new frequency they have been assigned because of its age. He informed the board he had sought quotes for a newer radio but had only found two manufacturers that make the one the airport will need.

Selby recommended the board purchase the new Base Station radio from Mentor who quoted a government rate of $1,149, saying the other quote came in substantially higher at between $1,700 and $1,900.

“They are going to let us have that radio for one month free to see if we like it or want any other features added to it,” he said, and then added that Mentor was also the only manufacturer who makes the radios for the FAA.

In other business, fuel sales were down for the month of August, as the board had anticipated.

“I thought that this might go down a little based on our tracking and the trends we were showing,” Selby said and predicted that the downward trend will continue into September. “It’s a little difficult trying to project things right now. I think this month that trend will continue to be down a little with the way traffic is changing and shifting.”

The board also voted to add both a Public Involvement Plan and a Limited English Plan to their policy book.

“The PIP just says we are going to keep the public involved and will publish any projects to media as we always do, and we will have a way for them to contact us if they have any questions,” Selby explained. “The limited English Plan just says that we will have a method to communicate with someone who does not speak English, and I just used the template from the state for that [policy].”

Other reports included a quote for the demolition of an abandoned house on the airport property, but the board ultimately decided to seek other quotes, and an update on the Fuel Farm Project which stated that the notice to proceed was effective as of the day of the meeting, Sept. 8, and that the project would be underway shortly.