Citrus County commissioners approve FDOT-funded repair after sinkhole opens on airport runway

Citrus County commissioners on Oct. 14 approved a Florida Department of Transportation grant and county match to repair a sinkhole that displaced roughly 1,000 feet of the runway at the Citrus County Airport.

County Public Works official Carlton Hall told the board the void at the airport is "roughly 15 feet in diameter, and it's about 50 to 60 feet deep." Todd Regan, operations manager for the airport, said technicians used ground-penetrating radar to confirm a subsurface anomaly and that a temporary patch was installed while crews prepared for permanent repairs.

The FDOT grant covers 80% of an estimated total project budget of $157,000; county staff said the 20% local match would be about $31,400. Regan told the board contractors Superior and TR were prepared to begin work "at a moment's notice" once the board authorized the grant and match. Staff estimated the repair could take about a week, weather permitting.

Commissioners and staff discussed the grant contingency and budget math during the meeting. Board members noted that contractor quotes in staff materials totaled about $137,362.60 and that any unused contingency funds would be returned to FDOT; the county would pay 20% of the actual final cost. County Administrator Steve Howard thanked staff and FDOT for moving quickly and said the expedited action was intended to restore airport operations and support commerce.

A motion "to approve Item B1 through 6" was made by Commissioner Jeff Kennard and seconded by Commissioner Holly Davis. The motion was amended on the floor to specify the county match would come from the county's contingency fund. The board voted 4-0 to approve the grant and county match from contingency funds.

Officials also reported a secondary void off the runway that is being monitored; FDOT indicated it would not fund work on the secondary void because it is not currently impacting the runway. Commissioners asked staff to clarify administrative authority for emergency purchases and whether the county administrator has clear signing authority for grant matches; county counsel and staff said they would review the county's administrative rule and return with clarifications.

The board held the special meeting to authorize the emergency repair so contractors could begin work promptly; staff said they had pushed to avoid a slower timeline that could have extended into November.