Commission ratifies MassDOT grants for equipment and monitoring; staff reviews FY27 capital requests

The commission ratified four Massachusetts Department of Transportation grant awards that Airport Manager Smith summarized on June 17: $229,503.20 for a new aircraft tug; $14,230 for Taxiway Golf Phase 3 environmental monitoring; $7,896.39 for airport drainage work; and $3,870 for Runway 6–24 centerline rehab design and permitting. A single motion to ratify the awards was made and seconded; recorded roll-call votes were “Aye” from Commissioner Planser, Commissioner Buscaran, Commissioner Marks and the chair, and the chair declared the ratification carried.

In finance and capital-project planning, Smith reviewed FY27 capital requests and said initial estimates had been conservative: an ARF building rehab line item that in the packet read “$1.60” will instead be nearer to $100,000 based on updated contractor quotes for door and second-floor flooring replacement. He said the Bunker Road rehab had a placeholder of $500,000 in the packet but he expects the final cost to be “a fraction of that” after drainage-clearing work and silt removal. Smith said staff is still awaiting better estimates from McFarland Johnson for both Bunker Road work and stabilization/reinforcement options for the seasonal terminal tent, noting that federal grant-assurance issues have placed some terminal-improvement grant options on hold.

Why this matters: the grants fund immediate equipment and monitoring needs; capital requests will inform the airport’s FY27 budget, priorities and potential grant applications.

The commission recorded ratification of the MassDOT grants and requested staff circulate finalized estimates from McFarland Johnson to inform budget decisions.