WINTERSVILLE — The Jefferson County Regional Airport Authority is poised to clear a major hurdle between it and construction of an approximately 14,000-foot-long fence to keep wildlife out of the Jefferson County Airpark, according to an update Monday.

Designed to prevent animal-airplane collisions, the airport’s planned wildlife exclusion fence has been in development for years. Part of that development process included designing the fence to be distanced safely from the runway, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

To do that, the airport authority needs to run the fence through a portion of property — less than half an acre — owned by a private individual. Since October, the authority has been working with the property owner and county officials to obtain the land, in exchange for a roughly equal portion of the airport’s property.

Given its exemption from the typical auction or bidding process for property being conveyance, the Jefferson County Port Authority has been acting as a conduit for the two parties’ land swap.

Port authority Executive Director Robert Naylor told the airport’s board of trustees Monday that the Jefferson County commissioners have approved the transfer, which he anticipates will close Feb. 28. Several impediment still need resolved, Naylor said, such as obtaining approval from the City of Steubenville because the property is within three miles of the city limits.

“I’m very appreciate of (the private property owner) for working with the airport to do this because it’s going to help you with fencing to keep out wildlife,” Naylor said, noting that all costs associated with the transfer will be covered by grant funds for the fence project.

“This airpot’s a big part of what we have here in Jefferson County,” Naylor added. “It’s a hidden gem. And most people — it’s not that they don’t understand we have an airpark here — I don’t think they understand the breadth and scope of what it is and what it can be for our county in the future.”

Separately, a new committee created to discuss airport parking resolved to make a recommendation at the board’s next meeting.

Chaired by board Vice President Dustin Van Fossen, the Parking Area Research Committee was formed last meeting to provide board members Rich Stenzel and Geary Bates a forum to debate their proposals for constructing additional airplane parking spaces.

The committee meeting — which took place immediately after the board’s regular meeting and included all five board members — saw trustees consult with Lance Wanamaker of engineering consultant Michael Baker International about budgetary and funding considerations for a potential project.

Wanamaker informed trustees that the Ohio Department of Transportation is normally able to fund up to 95 percent of a project through its own grants, provided there’s a 5 percent local share. The proportion of funding can slide, and the higher the local share, the more likely a project is to be funded. To maximize its chance of being funded, Wanamaker said, the airport authority ought to pitch in 21 percent of a project, with ODOT covering the remaining 79 percent.

According to Wanamaker, ODOT’s maximum funding limit would be around $500,000, so the committee resolved that the board should ask ODOT for that amount. The airport authority would tailor the project to instruct as many parking spots as possible, while keeping under the funding limit.

Committee members considered locations to construct the parking spots, ultimately determining that a grassy area between the box hangars and former wind cone site would allow for the most potential spaces.

The committee agreed to make its formal proposal to the board during the next meeting.

Also, the board voted on how to address a hangar tenant’s upgrades, which were done without board approval.

Bates expressed concern about a tenant who constructed a steel mezzanine in his hangar, suggesting that holes drilled in the concrete base might be a threat to its structural integrity. Furthermore, Bates claimed the tenant did not obtain board approval for the upgrades, as notices of the work were only made in passing during a previous meeting.

Bates said the tenant, when asked, admitted to not reading his lease before beginning construction of the mezzanine. Additionally, Bates questioned whether this would set a precedent for how the board addresses similar situations in the future.

Stenzel, who assisted with the work claimed the mezzanine’s safety factor is high enough to be of no concern. The concrete, he said, is built to accommodate large jets that generate much higher pressure per square foot than the mezzanine’s legs.

At the advice of board member Geno Morelli, who said the tenant’s failure to obtain board approval was likely an oversight, trustees voted to send a letter establishing that the tenant’s work was not done in compliance with his lease, and — though the structure is currently found to be suitable — the tenant may be required to keep or remove the structure at his expense upon termination of his lease, based on the board’s wishes.

Stenzel abstained from the vote, which was otherwise unanimous.

In other business:

∫ Airport manager Brian Thaxton reported there were 392 airport operations in January — typically the airport’s “slowest month” — as well as 46.3 gallons of jet fuel and 392 gallons of Avgas sold. He also reported that there are three empty Tee hangars and two individuals on a waiting list for box hangars.

∫ Thaxton told board members that, for $1,164, a contractor repaired the leaking water heater at the STAT MedEvac building, which just finished renovations to its interior and exterior. Additionally, Thaxton said he’s received the airport’s order of sodium formate for de-icing the ramps, along with a new spreader for $1394.12 to replace a corroded one.

∫ Thaxton said the airport’s Wi-Fi tends to go offline two-to-three times per week, and the county I.T. department needs to resolve the problem “sooner than later.”

∫ The board discussed options for keeping the grass around its fence mowed. Grass will need to be trimmed on both sides, adding significantly more surface area — with varying levels of difficulty — for airport staff to upkeep. Options discussed included leasing a skid-steer loader and hiring a contractor.

∫ Commissioner Jake Kleineke said he’s connecting the airport with industry associates he knows who could finish cutting into an old gas tank that the airport seeks to clean and repurpose. The job’s previous contractor “backed out” due to safety concerns, Reese noted.

∫ Stenzel reported that Columbia Gas would be interested in installing a meter at the airport at no cost, with the expectation that the airport itself took care of the connection. His update came amid ongoing discussions about replacing the airport’s aged and unreliable geothermal heating system.

∫ Wanamaker said he updated the airport’s 14 end taxiway extension financial plan from 2019 to reflect present-day financial figures. He also reported that, for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, the FAA will begin funding airport projects at 95 percent with a 5 percent local share — ODOT formerly contributed a 5-percent share to projects.