For the first time in its nearly 80-year history, Portage Municipal Airport accepts federal funding

For the first time in its nearly 80-year history, the Portage-owned airport in Wisconsin will accept federal funds to improve its infrastructure.

The Portage Municipal Airport is set to receive $300,000 biennially over the next several years from the U.S. Bureau of Aeronautics, according to city administrator Michael Bablick.

He recently told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that the city applied for the federal grant in 2021 to fund safety improvements. 

“It will take us a long time to really get up to par with where we should be with this type of airport,” he said.

The two-runway airport operates without any full-time workers while it serves hobbyist and commercial pilots, according to airport manager Philip Livingston. 

“We see commercial aircrafts come and go, assisting local businesses,” he said. “Some (hobbysists) lease space from us on an annual basis.”

Livingston told “Wisconsin Today” that the federal government will contribute 90 percent to the airport’s project costs, while the city and the state will each contribute 5 percent.  

“We’re already working with the Bureau of Aeronautics on some of our short term projects, such as crack filling of the airfield pavements as well as relocating the fuel facility,” Livingston said. 

Pilots will see pavement repairs as early as next summer, which is infrastructure that’s Livingston is familiar with since he also serves as the director of public works for the city of Portage. 

Livingston said that future projects will include correcting runway deficiencies, building additional taxiways, upgrading runway lights and more.

According to the city’s 2021 master plan, more than $8.6 million in airport improvements are needed to meet minimum Federal Aviation Administration and state airport design standards. For example, some objects are too close to the runways and numerous airspace obstructions affect runway approaches.

Both Bablick and Livingston hope the “entitlement” funds — money that the federal government is legally obligated to provide — can make the facility safer and encourage more air traffic. 

“From the city’s financial perspective, we’re really interested in is this being important to the business community,” Bablick said. 

Just one year ago, the Portage Common Council tabled a resolution that would permanently close the airport. Bablick added that the council’s decision to accept these federal dollars for the first time signals an interest in investment. 

“I feel like the council’s made a political decision. We’re going to do everything we can to make (the airport) as safe as possible,” he said.  

The Portage Municipal Airport, he added, has never accepted federal entitlement funds before because the city has been debating whether to build a new airport for the past 20 years. 

“Quite frankly, that plan was never really feasible,” he said. “Too costly.”