Harris County approves 5-year airport capital improvement plan and authorizes state submission

Harris County commissioners on Sept. 16 approved a five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) for Harris County Airport and authorized county staff to submit the document to the Georgia Department of Transportation. The plan covers fiscal years 2027–2031 and lists projects prioritized for safety, capacity and revenue generation. Phil Eberly, airport consultant with LeadEdge, said the plan is a routine, federally aligned planning document that helps airports sequence projects for potential funding. “This document shows the proposed projects over the next 5 years, so they can methodically anticipate what’s going to be requested,” Eberly said. The CIP lists projects including parking-lot expansion and a mandatory DBE plan update in the first year, followed by land acquisition and obstruction removal for approaches, apron rehabilitation, a parallel taxiway in year four and a hangar-access road extension. Eberly described the DBE plan update as mandatory under FAA rules. A table in the draft CIP lists the five-year total at $4,400,000 and a local share of $229,000 — roughly 5 percent of the total, a commissioner noted during the meeting. Commissioners moved and seconded a motion to approve the draft and submit it to the state; one recorded vote during the roll call was “Susan: Aye.” The board’s vote approved the CIP and authorized county staff to pursue applications for projects if tentative FAA allocations become available next summer. The county retained discretion to proceed with any specific project if and when funding is offered. The airport’s consultant said LeadEdge and county staff will complete necessary FAA applications for projects included in the first year of the plan.