Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Airport Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission delays decision on Runway 8/26 reconstruction bid and KAIP grant as airport director seeks clarifications
Summary
City of Newton aviation director described a completed design phase for Runway 8/26 and asked Harvey County to allow bids and a Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) grant submission; commissioners requested more information and agreed to revisit the request next week.
Brian Palmer, Aviation Director for the City of Newton, told the Harvey County Commission on Feb. 4 that design work for reconstruction of Runway 8/26 is complete and that the city and county needed permission to put the project out to bid and to submit a Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) grant as a contingency.
Palmer said the project is part of an FAA federal grant program; the team completed a 90% design review and had received FAA comments. He recommended bidding the project with a separate bid tab for the electrical work (lighting) so the county could carve out that scope and apply for a KAIP grant if federal funding or bid results required additional state support.
Commissioners asked several procedural and technical questions, including expected bid opening dates (Palmer proposed opening bids March 11), how electrical systems would be handled, how drainage and nearby property impacts have been addressed, and whether a complete runway closure would be required. Palmer said electrical work could be carved out as a separate bid tab and that the project may require a runway closure of about 30–35 days, with the county and city aiming for mid-October to mid-November for the most disruptive phase.
Several commissioners and members of the Aviation Commission raised concerns about closing both runways for a month (which would disrupt airport tenants and flight operations). Palmer acknowledged the operational and financial costs of options such as temporarily displacing thresholds and said displacing thresholds would add substantial cost (he cited an estimated $100,000–$150,000 cost to add temporary markings and related electrical changes) and could be more expensive than a short full closure. Palmer agreed to discuss alternatives with engineers and return with additional information.
Outcome: Commissioners did not approve the bid solicitation or the KAIP grant submission at the meeting. They asked Palmer to explore options (including whether portions of a runway could remain open or the cost to displace thresholds) and to return to the board next week with additional information.
No formal vote on the project authorization or grant submission occurred at the Feb. 4 meeting.
