Commission approves airport layout plan update; FAA funding gap prompts revised scope

The Port of Bremerton authorized a professional services agreement with Mead & Hunt to update the airport layout plan (ALP) and to support the second phase of an airport feasibility study after the Federal Aviation Administration reduced available funding for a full master plan.

Arna, acting as airport manager for the meeting, told commissioners the ALP update will graphically depict phased airport development consistent with federal aeronautical planning standards and will be produced alongside the feasibility phase 2 study to provide project-level cost estimates and planning details.

Funding and scope: The port reported the total contract cost as $643,954. The presenter said the port secured $326,756.76 from the FAA and $300,000 from the state aeronautics transportation budget, leaving a shortfall of $17,197.73 for which the port said it is applying for an additional grant with “Boston Aviation” as noted in the presentation. Arna said the FAA’s national funding reductions required the port to change from a full master plan to a more limited ALP update plus feasibility phase 2. “They cut funding,” Arna said, and the port negotiated a cost‑efficient scope with Mead & Hunt to preserve schedule-critical elements.

Timing and program implications: Arna said the ALP update will take about 14 months, with the new plan expected in late spring or early summer the following year. He told commissioners the ALP update is necessary to pursue future airfield projects listed in the port’s capital improvement plan — including an Airport Way project and a parallel taxiway that are currently planned for 2027 — because FAA approvals and funding reviews rely on an updated ALP and narrative.

Commission action: A commissioner moved to approve the professional services agreement with Mead & Hunt and to authorize the CEO to execute the agreement; the motion carried on a recorded vote. Commissioners recorded in the vote included Commissioner Boseman and Commissioner Stuck John.

Context and next steps: Arna said the ALP update will not alter the basic runway — the plan keeps the existing 6,000-foot runway length — but will show development around the airfield, including possible terminal, apron and hangar layouts tied to feasibility analyses. Staff said they will provide printed exhibits and more detailed, line‑item capital project analyses at future meetings as the work progresses.

Why it matters: The ALP update sets the planning foundation for multi‑year airport investments and FAA capital requests; the FAA funding reduction changed the format and scope of work but staff negotiated remaining funding with state and federal partners to keep priority studies moving forward.