Hamilton County advances customs-facility design, seeks partner funding as RPZ purchase remains contested
January 15, 2026 | Hamilton County, Indiana
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Hamilton County Airport officials told the board they received tentative approval of a 3,000-square-foot layout for a proposed Customs facility and will proceed into 30/60/90% design phases with an engineering firm, with a scope-and-fee for Board review expected next month.
Board members and staff emphasized the need to clarify both capital and ongoing operating costs. Airport staff said Customs and Border Protection has provided personnel-cost line items and that remaining uncertainties are primarily the equipment list CBP will require after design approval. Staff described pursuing a multijurisdictional memorandum of understanding with Boone County, Zionsville, Westfield and Lebanon to share operating costs for a potential second customs employee.
Legal counsel alerted the Board to complications tied to a runway-protection-zone (RPZ) land acquisition: counsel said sellers "have been somewhat less than candid about the status of demands that are in place from Zionsville," and indicated that a developer may have already committed part of the parcel to Zionsville as a city park, which could require negotiation and a supplemental appropriation before closing.
A staff representative said an initial, draft scope and fee for the customs facility is under internal review and that a 60% design draft and cost-estimating work (including a hired estimator to collect vendor pricing) should be available in roughly two months. Staff also gave a ballpark funding example in discussion: if a second employee cost $200,000 annually, participating municipalities would each need to contribute on the order of $50,000 per year under the current sharing concept.
Next steps: the Board expects to consider the engineering scope-and-fee for the customs facility at the next meeting, continue seeking state and local funding commitments for capital costs, and work toward an MOU that would apportion ongoing personnel expenses among partner jurisdictions.
Board members and staff emphasized the need to clarify both capital and ongoing operating costs. Airport staff said Customs and Border Protection has provided personnel-cost line items and that remaining uncertainties are primarily the equipment list CBP will require after design approval. Staff described pursuing a multijurisdictional memorandum of understanding with Boone County, Zionsville, Westfield and Lebanon to share operating costs for a potential second customs employee.
Legal counsel alerted the Board to complications tied to a runway-protection-zone (RPZ) land acquisition: counsel said sellers "have been somewhat less than candid about the status of demands that are in place from Zionsville," and indicated that a developer may have already committed part of the parcel to Zionsville as a city park, which could require negotiation and a supplemental appropriation before closing.
A staff representative said an initial, draft scope and fee for the customs facility is under internal review and that a 60% design draft and cost-estimating work (including a hired estimator to collect vendor pricing) should be available in roughly two months. Staff also gave a ballpark funding example in discussion: if a second employee cost $200,000 annually, participating municipalities would each need to contribute on the order of $50,000 per year under the current sharing concept.
Next steps: the Board expects to consider the engineering scope-and-fee for the customs facility at the next meeting, continue seeking state and local funding commitments for capital costs, and work toward an MOU that would apportion ongoing personnel expenses among partner jurisdictions.
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