Federal funds help speed up purchases for snow removal

Lost Nation Airport was hoping to buy a new tractor along with equipment over a two-year period, but thanks to additional federal funding, the airport is applying to get everything in a single year.

The airport initially was applying for a $150,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration this year. The Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority Board of Directors approved the airport’s application in

June.

Port Authority Executive Director Mark Rantala said at the June board meeting the goal was to purchase the tractor along with one piece of equipment.

Airport Manager Patty Fulop said at the board’s July meeting that the bids for the tractor were coming in higher than anticipated.

“Unfortunately, we could get the carrier vehicle, but if we didn’t go out ourselves and buy the broom and have it reimbursed next year, the carrier equipment would have been of almost no value to us,” Fulop said.

“Other than it’s got a front-end loader on it that can move heavy snow

and some things they’ve had trouble with in the past.”

The airport still would have had the tractor, but without the broom, plow or snowblower attachments, it would not have been as initially valuable.

Fortunately for Lost Nation, the Federal Aviation Administration eventually came up with an additional $150,000 to be used this year and the airport is applying to receive the tractor, broom, plow and snowblower all at once.

Lost Nation Airport will now have roughly $300,000 in federal funds to work with, along with $15,000 in matching funds from the airport and another $15,000 from the state. Fulop said those matching funds will probably end up being closer to $14,000.

The additional FAA funds will not affect the amount the airport receives next year because it’s coming out of a “different pot,” Fulop said.

The Port Authority board approved the revised application to the FAA at its July meeting.

With two years’ worth of purchases to be done in a single year, Rantala said it frees up about $150,000 in federal funds to apply toward a new project next year.

Additionally, Lost Nation has applied for a grant worth about $130,000 from the Ohio Department of Transportation for taxiway improvements.

The project will be similar to the recently completed repairs of both of the airport’s runways, Fulop said.