The Federal Aviation Administration will soon pay $500 a month to the Poplar Bluff Regional Business Airport to host radio equipment on site.
Airport manager Gary Pride presented the information Tuesday to the Poplar Bluff City Council during a regular meeting.
“The airport has been selected by the FAA as a site for a communication ground station,” Pride explained. “We are the only airport in Southeast Missouri to be selected and awarded this contract.”
The station is an aircraft communication addressing and reporting system.
“ACARS is a data streaming and communication link between commercial, freight, passenger and corporate aircraft, much like FedEx, United, American or other such commercial providers,” he said. “The radio streaming device displays air traffic control messages, aeronautical operational control messages and airline administration control messages on aircraft flight deck computers.”
The text-based messages can include information on weather, flight plans and passenger details, among other information, Pride said.
Worldwide, this system sees about 25 million messages a day.
“It’s become necessary for this network to be actually expanded, creating a continuously monitoring network, much like cell phone powers,” Pride said.
There are around 340 ground stations nationwide, he explained.
The lease renews annually, and Pride expects it to remain with the Poplar Bluff airport.
The FAA contractor will install the equipment at the airport, including computer equipment the size of an apartment refrigerator and two roof top antennae.
The airport does not have to operate or maintain the equipment, Pride said, adding all of that will be handled by the FAA and its contractors.
“We’re excited the FAA has selected our airport to partner with on this project. And we look forward to becoming an integral contributor to the safety of the United States airspace network,” he said.
The item was moved to the Sept. 19 voting session.
In other business, the city of Poplar Bluff has received a dozen bids on vacant, city-owned lots, which were put out for sealed bids.
The city purchased approximately 30 vacant lots last year which had tax liens and past due city liens against them, said city manager Matt Winters.
Approximately 20 were put out for bid and 10 parcels received bids.
The properties include areas of Woodrow, North D, North Sixth, South B, South E, Grand and Neat streets.
Two bids each were for 1503 Woodrow and a parcel in the 600 block of North D Street. The high bid for the Woodrow property was $400 from Lamar Walker of Poplar Bluff. The high bid for the North D property was $850 from Carol Bounds of Poplar Bluff.
Bids for the remaining properties ranged from $1,000 from Robert McCaffrey of Poplar Bluff for 612 North Sixth St., to $200 each for parcels on Grand, Neat and North C streets.
The item was moved to the Sept. 19 voting session.
The city council voted 3-1 in favor of naming two new streets located near the new Poplar Bluff Police Department. Both streets are adjacent to Shelby Road.
A road located to the east of the new building will be named Whiteley Way, while a road at the rear of the facility will be called Blaich Boulevard. Council member Robert Smith voted against the measure, with council members Lisa Parson and Barbara Horton, as well as Mayor Steve Davis, approving it.
City council members Chris Taylor, Shane Cornman and Jerrica Fox were absent.
In other business, the council:
• Approved a lease agreement with Francis Energy of Tulsa, Oklahoma, for parking spaces at the city-owned parking lot at Pine and Fifth streets to be used for electric vehicle charging stations.
• Approved annexing and zoning of property at 3396 Kanell Blvd.
• Voted to rezone property located south of Oak Grove Road and east of Shelby Road from RS-2 general residential to C-2 general commercial.
• Voted to enter an agreement with the Missouri Department of Economic Development related to a community development block grant for storm water improvements.
• A voting item related to a resolution in support of a low-income housing development project died for lack of a motion.
• Discussed updating signatories for city accounts to include new personnel in the positions of city clerk, deputy city clerk and accounting manager. This will be a voting session item Sept. 19.
• Approved entering a contract with Smith & Company Engineers for surveying, engineering and inspection services on Stormwater Improvements Project 2021-GI-28. This will be a voting session item Sept. 19.
• Discussed adding accounting manager John Pratt to the Transportation Development District Board of Directors. This will be a voting session item Sept. 19.