PARIS - Matters related to the Oxford Regional Airport dominated the county commissioners' monthly meeting Tuesday.

Jim Horowitz, president of Oxford Aviation, was present to answer questions related to an inspection of the airport conducted on Aug. 13. The county owns the airport, but Oxford Aviation rents facilities on the site for aircraft refurbishing.

The inspection found four activities not in compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration grant assurances. Oxford Aviation was painting truck tractors at the facility and keeping a truck tractor parked on an active ramp designated for aircraft parking.

Horowitz said Tuesday that the company had ceased work on the trucks, but would submit a written request for commissioners to allow such work to take place. He said the repair station certificate authorizes non-FAA work in one of the small bays of a hangar.

Horowitz said work on the trucks will create 18 to 20 jobs and will eventually be moved to an off-site facility. He said he would request that 4 percent of the facility be authorized for non aviation-related activity.

In July, commissioners issued a notice of default to Horowitz, threatening to terminate the county's lease agreement with Oxford Aviation if it did not stop working on the trucks within 90 days of receiving the notice.

According to Horowitz, the FAA allows secondary work at the facility as long as it does not interfere with the primary aviation-related uses. He said the Sanford Regional Airport, future site of the company's Sanford Jet Division, is allowing up to 10 percent of that facility's space to be used for nonaviation purposes such as the truck work.

"There's always been additional peripheral work at airports, including Oxford County," Horowitz said.

Phil Simpson, the county's airport consultant, said the noncompliance with the FAA standards risks a loss of federal funds to the airport and county.

"The FAA is looking over our shoulder," Commissioner Steven Merrill said.

Laverne F. Reid, manager of the airports division for the FAA's regional office, stated in the inspection report that the county's lease with Oxford Aviation allows for secondary uses, contingent on county approval. However, he states that approval of the truck refurbishment would be in noncompliance with the county's grant obligations that "the airport be used solely for aviation purposes."

Horowitz apologized for not getting county approval of the truck work, as well as interior renovations such as the addition of cubicle space. He said he would follow procedure in the future.

The inspection also stated that Horowitz was fueling automobiles at the airport's fuel farm, requiring vehicles to drive across the aircraft ramp and creating a safety issue. It also notes piles of junk on a ramp adjacent to the fuel farm.

Horowitz said he was fueling race cars with the higher octane fuel, but by filling containers rather than by allowing the cars to cross the facility. He said the junk would be removed.

The FAA is requiring the county to formulate a plan to terminate unauthorized use of the airport on or before Sept. 14. Commissioners may schedule a special meeting to hear Horowitz's request, as their next meeting will take place on Sept. 18.

Simpson said the Maine Department of Environmental Protection requires that the piping for the fuel pumps be removed. The pumps were recently moved and upgraded. Simpson said the process would cost at least $50,000.

He said Bangor International Airport had a similar issue and was allowed to hold off on that process until it needed to do upgrades on the apron. Commissioners voted to get an estimate for how much it would cost to appeal the requirement.

Commissioners also awarded a snow plowing bid for the airport to Richard Bean for $15,500.