Airport commission approves $145,700 tower siting study to preserve future option for control tower

Airport Commission members voted to approve a $145,700 air traffic control tower siting study on a motion and roll-call vote, funding preliminary work so the airport can decide later whether to accept a tower. The study will use federal non‑primary entitlement (MPE) funds for 90 percent of the cost, with state and local shares of 5 percent each.

The vote matters because it authorizes prerequisite technical work — surveys, FAA 3‑D modeling and environmental documentation — that staff said is required before the airport can decide whether to accept a tower. Chad, a staff member presenting the item, said: "This is, for a total of $145,700 90% of this is gonna be coming from our federal non primary entitlements, the MPE money, and then, 5% state and 5% local." The commission’s approval covers only the prework; it does…