Engineering consultant reviews FAA grant funding, AIP program and Livingston’s capital plan

Lance Bowser, an airport project engineer with RPA (Robert Pecche & Associates), reviewed Livingston Mission Field’s past FAA grants, current funding available through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and Montana Aeronautics, and the airport’s capital improvement plan.

Bowser told the board the AIP typically funds eligible airport projects at 90% federal share, with Montana Aeronautics or other state sources potentially supplying the local or state share (commonly up to 10%). He said the FAA recently increased some allocations to 95% for a short period but that, generally, airports rely on the 90/10 mix. He noted Livingston receives annual non‑primary entitlement credits (the transcript referenced a $150,000 non‑primary entitlement bucket) and may also borrow or transfer entitlement credits between airports to cover near‑term shortfalls.

Bowser said Livingston has completed more than $8 million in improvements under the AIP program historically and that he has worked on most of those projects. He said pavement preservation should remain the airport’s top near‑term priority; areas shown in the five‑year CIP with asterisks reflect likely FAA funding shortfalls.

On instrument approaches and terrain constraints, Bowser said Montana terrain and existing runway geometry make a precision instrument landing system (ILS) or low‑minimum ground‑based approach infeasible without major earthmoving and large expense. “In theory, you could fill the end of the runway with 2,000,000 yards of earthwork … it just comes at a cost,” he said, adding that the terrain would make such a project impractical for Livingston.

Bowser summarized FAA grant assurances and obligations that accompany federal grants: most FAA grants carry sponsor obligations for 20 years (for example, if FAA funds purchase land or facilities, that land is FAA‑obligated), certain equipment categories have different useful periods (snowplows often 10 years, weather stations 15 years) and any land acquired with FAA funds may carry long‑term obligations. He also noted lease limits in Montana law: local government hangar ground leases generally are capped at 40 years under current MCA language and that FAA policies disfavor perpetual or overly long lessee obligations.

Why it matters: Bowser’s presentation framed the airport’s capital needs, funding mechanisms and legal obligations that affect decisions about runway maintenance, hangar development and potential large projects. He advised maintaining an up‑to‑date Airport Layout Plan (ALP), prioritizing pavement maintenance and being careful when accepting FAA grants because grants carry long obligations.

Ending: Bowser gave the board his email copies of a grant‑assurance summary and the CIP and said he would provide additional documentation and answer follow‑up questions. The board asked for the CIP and specific cost estimates for projects in the short term.