Cheval Municipal Airport utility project: five bids opened, award to be recommended pending Tennessee Aeronautics Division concurrence

Purchasing Director Laurie Sadler and Airport Director Paul Perry briefed the council on bids for the Cheval Municipal Airport midfield utility water-development project and asked that the council place an award on a subsequent agenda.

Sadler said the bid opening was May 28 and five bidders submitted proposals: Tomcat Construction, PCS, Cumberland Pipeline, Elite Constructors, and REV Construction. Bids ranged from $408,216.90 to $854,541. Because of the packet detail, engineers reviewed the bids; Sadler asked the council "if you want this to be an agenda item next week, we ask for a favorable award pending Tennessee aeronautics division concurrence because this has to go back to, aeronautics division."

When a councilmember asked whether the money was part of "the $5,000,000 that you got" or part of airport allocations, staff replied that "this is an existing grant" and that it was not part of the $6,000,000 set aside for the airport (as stated in the meeting). Staff further confirmed the project uses an aeronautics grant and that the city already has a contract for the design portion and is now adding construction to that work. A councilmember asked if the grant cost-share was "95 5," and staff responded yes.

Why it matters: The bid range establishes the expected construction cost for the midfield water work and the city must secure concurrence from the Tennessee Aeronautics Division before final award. The transcript indicates federal aeronautics funding with a 95/5 cost-share but does not include the total grant amount dedicated to this project.

No final award was made at the study session; staff requested placement of a favorable award on the next agenda subject to the aeronautics division's concurrence.