Airport staff report pavement maintenance, cracked solar panels and hangar projects; FAA approval and warranties awaited

Airport operations staff told the commission that some recently poured concrete panels in the solar array area have cracked and will be replaced under the contractor’s one‑year warranty.

Staff noted the issue arose with panels poured as part of the recent installation and said the contractor will replace affected panels under warranty. “On the one side, you’re within the one‑year warranty, so it gets taken care of,” an operations staff member said.

Separately, staff reported they are awaiting an FAA “go” letter to release a remaining pavement payment; once received the work order and payment will be placed on a future agenda. Staff said routine inspections identified a few patches but that overall the 15‑year‑old pavement holding up well, with a design life of roughly 20 years and practical life up to 40 years with maintenance.

The commission also discussed hangar development and concrete apron work. One hangar lease has been finalized and another developer is proceeding; staff said additional hangars are needed to increase revenue. Staff reported the airport had reallocated funding and deferred second‑phase solar expansion in order to support planned hangar construction.

Why it matters: cracked panels and pavement work affect capital projects and warranty claims; FAA approval is required before final payment on some projects. Hangar construction is a revenue strategy for the airport but also competes for site use and funding.

Next steps: staff will oversee contractor replacement of cracked panels, finalize the FAA go letter and bring the pavement work order back for approval, and continue coordinating hangar leasing and apron construction.