Article submitted by Jamie Fleury, The Pilot News Staff Writer
Plymouth Municipal Airport Manager Bill Sheley updated the Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety at their last meeting that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will not be funding the paving and lighting portion of the Parallel Taxiway Design Project Phase II this year.
FAA Discretionary Funding, which is generated from ticket fees and fuel taxes, normally supports between 30 and 40 projects across the state of Indiana every year.
According to Sheley, only three or four projects will be funded this year and the priority will be runways.
Despite the delay, the first portion of this phase of the project which included grade and draining has already been funded and contracted in the amount of $1,061,000. According to Sheley that work is expected to begin mid-April.
Sheley assured the board that it was not specific against Plymouth, the whole state was impacted. He said that Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Office of Aviation is advocating for financial remedy.
In other news, Sheley was recently honored by Culver Community High School Senior Mackenzie Banks as her most influential teacher for his mentorship during AlphaFlight at the Culver Kiwanis Top Ten Recognition Dinner. Banks plans to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a world renowned private university focused on aviation and aerospace programs.
Sheley has also recently been named the Education Coordinator for Aviation Indiana. The organization is dedicated to the promotion of aviation education.
