DIFFERING VIEWS — Jefferson County Regional Airport Authority board members Rich Stenzel, left, and Geary Bates looked at a drawing and debated the best location, in their minds, to construct more airplane parking at the Jefferson County Airpark, during Monday’s regular meeting. -- Christopher Dacanay

WINTERSVILLE — The Jefferson County Regional Airport Authority’s ongoing debate over airplane parking spaces at the Jefferson County Airpark was tabled and delivered to a special committee for further discussion Monday.

During its monthly meeting, the authority’s board of directors resolved to have a committee headed by board members Rich Stenzel and Geary Bates carry out further preliminary discussions. With the two’s debate over the issue having spanned three months already, board President Brandon Reese determined this move would save time during future meetings.

“Some of the debate issues coming up tonight are repetitive, and those are the kind of issues I don’t want to bog down the meeting with,” Reese said, adding, “(Stenzel and Bates) can hash out the numbers. … Having the whole gallery here and the whole crowd here is not necessary.”

The five-member board began considering the addition of more airplane parking spaces in October, following a report from airport manager Brian Thaxton that a particularly busy day had maxed out spaces. Since then, four different locations have been proposed for new parking spaces, though each has its issues.

Bates has proposed putting spaces near the airport’s southeast end, on the partial concrete pad where the maintenance building once sat. The location would supposedly accommodate two planes and only cost the board $100,000 to construct — or between $45,000 and $55,000 if Bates does the work himself.

Stenzel, on the other hand, has proposed an area between the box hangars and former wind cone site, which he believes could fit up to 14 planes. The area has an added benefit of two access points, allowing for easy taxiing in and out.

Engineering consultant Lance Wanamaker of Michael Baker International previously estimated that Stenzel’s proposed location would cost around $700,000, a figure that includes a 25 percent overage. Bates has expressed his opposition to the project’s $700,000 price tag, figuring that the amenity’s anticipated usage doesn’t justify the cost.

Stenzel has pointed to his location’s higher rate of planes per dollar and has expressed his willingness to scale the project back. However, his location would not require use of a tug to move planes out — unlike Bates’ location — and it would be able to accommodate transient jets, which are a “huge moneymakers” for the airport.

Separately, the board agreed to have marketing professionals present on their potential services for the airport during the authority’s next monthly meeting.

Bates suggested during this meeting that the board consider hiring a promoter. Leveraging the airport’s resources, the promoter would entice company planes to land and receive services at the Jefferson County Airpark, as opposed to competitors.

Thaxton OK’d the idea, provided the marketing focuses on existing services at the airpark, like low fuel prices and accommodations at the terminal.

Although initially skeptical due to his belief geography is the main business determinant for airports, Reese invited board members to be open-minded. Should any marketing professionals come next month, Reese said the board should listen to the proposals before offering specific requests.

Bates put forward a company he worked with during his time with Bates Brothers Amusements Co. That company, he said, would offer a trial for $5,000.

The board also approved:

• Thaxton and Secretary-Treasurer Gary Folden to attend the Ohio Aviation Association Annual Conference in May and to cover their expenses.

• Thaxton to purchase a palette of sodium formate, costing around $2,000, for de-icing difficult spots around the airport’s hangars. The board hopes to sample the Federal Aviation Administration-approved de-icer this season around the hangars before using it on the runway or other locations. Reese added that the board used to “walk the tightrope” between safety and money for de-icing, but the airport’s current financial situation allows for a better investment.

• Wanamaker to submit a quarterly report to the FAA regarding construction of the airport’s wildlife exclusion fence. Construction is 7 percent done, Wanamaker reported, with necessary tree clearing having been accomplished late last year.

• Wanamaker to make necessary adjustments to the airport’s three-year Disadvantaged Business Enterprise plan, expressing the airport’s intention to give businesses controlled by members of historically disadvantaged populations a fair chance at obtaining contracts.

In other business:

• The board entered an executive session for contract negotiations having to do with ongoing renovations at the STAT MedEvac building. The board went on the record afterward, noting there were “no issues detrimental to the contract or our legal position,” as Bates had previously suggested during the regular session, according to Reese.

• Airport manager Brian Thaxton reported lower operation numbers in December (358) due to the cold but noted that 5,530 gallons of jet fuel A and 876 gallons of avgas were during the month. Last year set a record for the airport’s jet fuel sales at 69,841 total gallons, he added, with STAT MedEvac comprising $111,000 of those sales. Phillip Bender of Pier Aviation flight school was the second-largest fuel consumer, while transient planes made up the difference. Thaxton said he’s happy to see the airport’s “steady and slow growth” that those sales represent.

• Commissioner Jake Kleineke, who started with the board of county commissioners last Thursday, introduced himself to the board. Noting his past experience hauling material to the airport for a project, Kleineke said he “absolutely” believes the board is doing a good job.

• Noting the airport’s need to be financially secure in case oil and gas royalties dry up, Bates suggested that the board adopt a policy for prioritizing projects and directing spending. Reese retorted, saying that the board already accomplishes that by having verbal discussions.

• Stenzel reported that he’s been speaking with a Columbia Gas representative about whether the airport could run its own gas line from a new meter, if the board decides in the future to upgrade the terminal’s heating system from the “outdated” and unreliable geothermal system to natural gas. Reese added that previous attempts at an upgrade have not been financially feasible. Bates suggested that an engineer first review the terminal to determine whether a geothermal system is still practical.

• Stenzel informed the board that he and Bill Pree constructed a metal mezzanine inside Pree’s hangar to provide insulation while working on airplanes. The structure came as a set and could just as easily be temporary as it could be permanent, depending on the board’s wishes. Reese added that Stenzel and Pree regularly perform complex work on their planes, and the board cleared them to use an inflatable painting booth back in January.