Many county residents do not know about the airport on the west side of Berryville, so at the Sept. 18 meeting, members of the Carroll County Airport Commission considered ways to publicize the airport better.
A lighted sign on U.S. Hwy. 62 would help with that recognition, but commissioners considered the cost. Even if such a sign relied on solar power, it would be expensive to install and maintain.
Some commissioners suggested a sign that could be programmed remotely to publicize airport events. Even a simple sign at the end of Carroll Road 308 would help to promote the airport, although commissioners would still have to obtain an easement to place a sign there. The commission decided to postpone that project until the 2026 budget.
The remainder of the meeting mostly included positive news, beginning with the monthly report from Airport Manager Mark Pepple. He said fuel sales are increasing month-to-month. Later in the meeting, Chair Dave Teigen emphasized the importance of keeping fuel prices lower than other airports in the region.
The airport has obtained a scissor lift to help with maintenance, and that lift is available to tenants who need the lift to work on their hangars. Pepple said a metal picnic table has been purchased, and that will help with social functions at the airport. Pepple’s report also noted a repair to the mowing equipment.
Although consulting engineer Joey Wallace did not attend this meeting, Pepple had spoken with him. A contract has been signed for construction of a six-bay hangar, although the contractor elected not to begin work on the footing and foundation now. With a six-month delay in ordering metal construction materials, the contractor chose to begin the project in early spring instead.
In other business:
- Commissioners will establish a program to check the operation of doors on all hangars owned and leased by the airport. Cables and fluids on those doors will be checked twice a year, and this routine maintenance will avoid bigger problems in the long run.
- The commissioners had voted to extend a canopy over an area outside the terminal for social events. They had planned to have the canopy completed in time for an Oct. 11 event, but the contractor has had scheduling problems. Cost for the project may exceed the $20,000 budgeted, and Teigen described the situation as “a learning experience.” Future contracts may include deadlines and penalties to avoid problems in execution. Teigen suggested that commissioners might have to look past the lowest bid to ensure schedule compliance.
- Justice of the Peace Matt Phillips represents the quorum court at airport commission meetings. In a discussion about insurance for volunteers at airport events, Phillips said the county’s workers’ comp insurance should cover most circumstances. He offered to check with the Association of Arkansas Counties to make sure that coverage would extend to a volunteer directing planes to parking areas on the ground.
- Updates are planned for the terminal building, including painting and repairing some siding.
- Plans to extend the runway to 4,000 feet are still in the works.
- The airport offers courtesy cars for visiting pilots, and that will likely remain the only method of supplying transportation. The airport does not have enough volume to attract an outside agency to supply rental vehicles.
- Commissioners discussed steps they could take toward accepting credit cards at airport events.
- The importance of tracking fuel sales year-to-year was discussed. Commissioner Sandy Martin noted that fuel sales were slow at the beginning of the year, as difficult weather kept many pilots on the ground. Fuel sales began picking up again in June.
- A Fly-In was scheduled for the Saturday after the meeting, although rain was forecast.
- With Jason Tennant’s term as a commissioner coming to a close, the commission will have a vacancy.