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Watertown council approves FAA grant application, awards private-hangar bid pending grant
Summary
The City of Watertown authorized an FAA Airport Infrastructure Grant application for a $570,000 hangar taxi‑lane expansion and awarded a separate bid of roughly $350,000 for private hangar-area work contingent on that grant.
The City of Watertown City Council on March 17 approved applying for a Federal Aviation Administration Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) for a proposed hangar taxi-lane expansion and authorized acceptance of any award, and separately awarded a bid for the private hangar-area expansion pending grant funding.
Airport Director Ian Merriweather said the AIG application requests $570,000 for a taxi-lane expansion tied to additional hangar capacity. "It's a waiting game at this point," Merriweather said, adding that staff could not yet predict whether the federal government will fund the project.
Council members also voted to award the private-hangar-area expansion, project number 2423, to Webster Scale, with a low bid just under $350,000; staff recommended the award be approved subject to FAA grant approval. City engineer Justin Peterson told the council the low bid came in about 15% under the engineer's estimate.
Councilman Danforth moved to approve the grant application; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote. The separate bid award to Webster Scale was moved, seconded, and approved; council members and staff noted that the bid award is contingent on receiving the FAA grant.
Council members pressed staff on next steps if federal funds are not awarded. Merriweather said that without a grant the city would not proceed with the project, though the council could revisit the work later and attempt to rebid or fund it from the city's capital budget: "If the grant doesn't get funded, we simply don't move on with the project," he said. Merriweather also said airport hangar space is at capacity, so the need would return if funding is unavailable.
On financing, Merriweather described a split for the project but did not provide a formal written breakdown at the meeting. He stated the split aloud as "90, 5. 5 5," which staff later indicated would be clarified in procurement documents if the grant is awarded.
The airport director and project staff said they would seek further information from FAA about any denial if that occurs, to inform next steps. The council gave staff authority to pursue the grant application and to accept the award if offered; the bid award to Webster Scale remains conditional on FAA funding.
