Harrison Area Pilots Association - Fly Harrison

Clare County Cleaver 

by Dianne Alward-Biery

Cleaver Senior Staff Writer

 HARRISON – The Feb. 25 meeting of the Clare County Airport Committee began with the Airport Manager’s Report, wherein Gale Bensinger note the airport tractor was repaired and being used for snowplowing. And while the runway was cleared off, the county hangar was very effectively allowing snow to enter the entire building.

On a more positive note, Bensinger received his certificate…….

Under Old Business, the ongoing planned projects continued to be held top-of-mind: Turf Runway 9/29 leveling, fertilizing and seeding planned for August; the Community Economic Development Survey [CEDS] 5-year plan for the Eastern Michigan Council of Governments [EMCOG], which would enable meeting the Economic Development Administration [EDA] grant requirement; and working toward establishing a multi-unit agreement with the City of Harrison, Hayes Township and Clare County. Ambrozaitis explained that he has been working on the preliminary step of drafting a plan, which would be followed by instituting a discussion among the three entities.

Under New Business, Ambrozaitis shared the MDOT-FY25 announcement of project grants funding, which includes $250,000 for Airfield Lighting upgrade and $4,806 for runway crack sealing. The next step in the process will be to receive the grant award packet from the state, which Ambrozaitis said is not anticipated until April. He clarified that the grants require no matching funds, and that it is Clare County taxpayer money coming back to the county.

“But we will add,” he said. “Because we’ve talked in the past that we’re going to provide some labor and some assistance to whoever the contractor is that gets the bid. So, we’re going to have to follow the county purchasing policy and bid process, just like we’re supposed to.

The lighting upgrade also includes a new internally lit wind cone on the airfield. Ambrozaitis said that, and a couple more items, Airport 80D should be able to be upgraded from a Basic Utility Airport to a General Utility Airport.

He further clarified that whatever MDOT grant monies are not used by the 33 awardee airports for their 44 projects would be rolled back into the MDOT Discretionary Fund for use on subsequent projects.

-Also of interest to Clare County residents are the MDOT grants awarded to Clare Municipal Airport in the amounts of $70,000 for 100LL Fuel Dispenser and System upgrade, and $6,480 for crack sealing.

Other new business included the measurements taxiways provided by the Clare County Road Commission. The longest taxiway (A) is 986 feet; two (A and B) are each 720 feet long; and the (D) taxiway measures 753 feet. The CCRC had been asked to provide a project cost, which enables going to the Economic Development Administration and seeking a match grant for funding those projects. Those current estimates included a combined total of $413,661.58; which Ambrozaitis said is a hefty total, but if broken down into bite-size pieces, it would amount to $128,000 for (A); $93,400 each for (B) and (C); and $98,500 for (D). Ambrozaitis said he believed that the lesser, roughly $100,000 amounts, would be a bit more palatable to the EDA when seeking a possible 80/20 split, making the airport share roughly $25,000.

Another new business item dealt with the potential for development at the west side of the property, and the need to stake out the airport property to determine exactly what belongs to the airport and to Clare County Animal Control. That would include a proper road commission survey with the advent of spring weather, to determine which part of the Hazel Drive property line extension would best serve as an access road to old runway portion of the airport property. Another proposed survey would include the taxiways and hangar lots, including existing hangar lots as well as for future development.

Also solidified was the plan for the Spring Fly-in and Dawn Patrol, slated for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 17. Flyers will be distributed, as well as being posted on the Harrison Area Pilots Association website (https://harrisonapa.org).

Under Public Comment, Hayes resident Pat Adams offered his thanks to Ambrozaitis for all the diligent work he had done to get the MDOT grants.

“There is a lot of background research, paperwork involved and having to stay on top of it,” Adams said. “It’s a lot of money you brought in for the Clare County Airport, so kudos to you and thank you for doing such diligent work.”

Ambrozaitis, while appreciative, was quick to give credit to Clare County Administrator Lori Phelps as being pivotal in doing the paperwork.

“She is very experienced in grantwriting,” he said. “She’s a master at getting all that, so basically I dictated and she massaged and made it happen, figured out what needed to be in there.”

He also voiced thanks to the elected officials who provided letters of support of the grants, including the Hayes Township Board, Sen. Houck, Rep. Kunse, among others.

“It was a team effort,” Ambrozaitis said. “I like to say Team Clare County.”

The last item of information dealt with how to spur CTE student interest in aviation, and focusing not on pilot training, but rather on aviation maintenance through the Clare-Gladwin RESD. Ambrozaitis said he would be looking into that possibility.

The Airport Committee will meet next at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 25 in the Board of Commissioners Room in the Clare County Building, 225 W. Main St., Harrison.

© Clare County Cleaver