Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Airport Capital topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Airport presents FY26 priorities: PFAS work, runway rehabilitation and employee housing plans
Summary
Airport manager told the board PFAS investigations and groundwater treatment work will continue, runway rehabilitation could exceed $100 million (largely grant‑funded) and airport‑funded employee housing proposals are under development.
Airport Manager Noah Carberg briefed the Select Board on the airport’s FY26 enterprise budget, PFAS-related investigations and a multi‑year capital plan including runway rehabilitation and employee housing.
Carberg opened by stressing safety: “First and foremost, our mission is to provide operationally safe air service,” he said, and summarized recent and planned work. The airport is continuing Phase 3 of its PFAS investigation under the Massachusetts MCP and expects a Phase 3 report and an IRA (Interim Response Action) update later in the month.
Major capital topics Carberg highlighted included runway rehabilitation that could exceed $100,000,000 in total cost but for which he said federal and state grant partners typically fund the vast majority (he cited a 90%+ federal/state funding expectation for typical AIP runway projects). He contrasted that with airport employee housing: a $6,000,000 townhouse phase described as locally funded and intended to house airport staff, with a plan to reserve occupancy for airport employees first and, in some configurations, to offer adjacent units to municipal emergency personnel if needed.
Other items: the airport has taken delivery of a new ARFF (aircraft rescue and firefighting) truck and is converting fuel farms and vehicles to fluorine‑free firefighting foam; the airport is pursuing renovation of its geothermal system to enable groundwater pump‑and‑treat for PFAS where required; and the airport continues to pursue federal grants for terminal renovations but paused certain elements after cost estimates came in high.
Why it matters: runway upgrades, PFAS mandates, and employee housing carry large capital implications and can affect airport operations, grant eligibility and staffing resilience.
What’s next: the airport will continue PFAS investigation and report issuance, proceed with targeted groundwater treatment design where required, refine capital scopes, and advance employee housing planning.
