WILMINGTON — The Clinton County Port Authority approved several items, including a lease, involving a de-icing building at the Wilmington Air Park, which the port owns.
The lease and agreements related to de-icing reflect the increase in air traffic at the air park ever since the code-named “Aerosmith” project began cargo operations there.
LGSTX Services Inc., which handles air park operations, has signed a non-disclosure agreement with whatever company is behind “Aerosmith.” LGSTX will lease the de-icing building, operate it, repair its boiler and share revenue and expenses related to its operations.
“Up until now we have had minimal de-icing activity,” Carver said. “Increased airport activity due to project Aerosmith … involves not only increased expenses for operations at the airport, but it increases pretty significantly the amount of fuel that is sold from our fuel farm.”
The port leased the de-icing building to LGSTX for one year for about $6,000. The port signed a different agreement that pays LGSTX to operate the de-icing building and pay related expenses for the length of the lease.
“The agreement also is intended to delineate what fees will be derived by the port as the result of these operations,” Carver said. “This would cover the duties and responsibilities with regard to operating a complete de-ice operation, which we envision would include significantly more environmental inspections and testing … as well as potentially increasing the operations of the south treatment facility.”
Another agreement would allocate revenues and expenses from the de-ice operations. In that agreement, Carver said the port was prepared to contribute up to $20,000 to operational expenses for Aerosmith’s term, but doesn’t anticipate that much would be necessary.
The building stores five tanks of glycol, which is used for de-icing airplanes, and a boiler to warm the solution faster than the trucks which apply it can.
“The airport has to be prepared every day, seven days a week for those aircraft to fly in and fly out, which means” the flights can no longer be delayed from landing or taking off to prepare the runway.
Carver said another agreement would pay for half the cost to repair the boiler, not to exceed $13,200.
LGSTX was authorized to repair the boiler, which will revert to port ownership when the lease expires.
The port also:
• Received a third-quarter financial report. According to port board member Larry Laake, who was recently made secretary and treasurer of the port, rent and utility reimbursements were behind schedule. Fiscal officer Pat Thompson said some lease rates increased in the year and should catch up and that utility costs were less than expected. The port has $3.4 million in cash on hand to date, a $300,000 decrease from where it was at the beginning of 2015.
• Received public input from Bret Dixon, Clinton County economic and business development director. Dixon asked to receive the port’s agenda earlier, perhaps as it was being formed, so he could leverage his experience and knowledge to benefit the port as well as ask about participating in the port’s executive sessions. Dixon said he was appointed as an ex-officio member of the port by the Clinton County commissioners. “I can either dispel a rumor or help you understand what may or may not be,” Dixon said. Recently-named port chair Walt Rowsey welcomed that opportunity.
• Received a report from Jones Lang LaSalle senior associate David Lotterer, who said things are optimistic for the air park “both in the quality of opportunities … and the sheer volume.”
• Received a report from Carver, who said the Ohio State Highway Patrol toured the air park looking for a place to train K9s and provide those dogs and trainers for law enforcement agencies across Ohio.
• Met in executive session to discuss with their attorney pending or imminent court action and financial and proprietary information of a company.
Reach Nathan Kraatz at 937-382-2574, ext. 2510 or on Twitter @NathanKraatz.
