Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Airport Grants And Certification topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Airport misses state grant round; FAA decertifies runway light manufacturer, delaying work
Summary
Commission staff told the Airport Commission the airport was scored in the funded range but did not receive state Airport Improvement Program (AIP) money this cycle; staff also said the FAA has decertified a runway-light manufacturer, leaving temporary lighting in place while the vendor seeks recertification.
Airport Commission members were told at their July meeting that the airport did not receive state grant funding this cycle and that a runway-light manufacturer has been decertified by the Federal Aviation Administration, delaying planned equipment replacement. Staff recommended reapplying next year and said FAA action means the airport will continue using temporary lighting until the manufacturer resolves certification issues. "We basically got the minimum score that we could have gotten...it just ran out of money," a staff member said during the meeting.
Why it matters: The airport had sought a combination of vertical (hangar) and pavement projects under state and federal AIP funding. State scoring favored applicants with higher local matching funds; the commission was told the airport’s planned local match rate was lower than some other applicants, which reduced its relative score. The FAA decertification affects equipment already ordered and will keep temporary systems in place until the manufacturer secures recertification.
Commission staff said the airport had applied for the maximum match level in its application because project cost estimates remain uncertain. Staff outlined options for the next application cycle: reduce the local-match percentage in the application or reconfigure project elements so the airport can credibly commit more local match if needed. "At that point in time, we've got a couple of things we can rewrite during application so that the matches...drop them down," the staff member said.
Staff explained how combined applications affected scoring: when hangar (vertical) work and paving are applied for together, state policy often ties the two; if the vertical work is not funded, the associated paving typically is not funded either. The staff member said that outcome simplified the immediate picture because it avoided a complex partial-paving project with limited funds. Council Bluffs and Mount Pleasant projects were cited as examples of applicants that gained advantage by offering larger local matches.
The commission voted by consensus to reapply next year and to review application strategy over the coming months. No formal budget appropriation or contract award was made at the meeting.
Ending: Staff advised the commission that FAA and state timelines could affect when the airport can proceed and that the airport will monitor the manufacturer's certification process and the state's next grant round before bringing specific procurement or construction requests back to the commission.
