Pittsburg approves FAA grant package, awards $2.06 million airport construction contract

Pittsburg commissioners on May 27 approved applying for an FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant and took several linked votes to move forward with taxiway and connector improvements at Atkinson Municipal Airport, including awarding a $2,056,701.12 construction contract to Emory SAP & Sons Inc.

The package before the commission covers a project with a total cost of about $2,331,000. Commissioners were told the FAA will fund $2,215,000 (roughly 95 percent) and the city's share will be about $116,579. The commission voted to accept the forthcoming FAA grant offer, award the base bid plus alternate 1 and alternate 2 to Emory SAP & Sons Inc (pending FAA concurrence), approve an amendment with Olson, Inc. for construction-phase and closeout services for $217,400, and approve utility-relocation agreements with Cox Communications Kansas LLC and Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. All votes carried as moved on the May 27 consent/discussion agenda.

City staff and the airport's design consultant, Brian Coombs of Olson, described the work as reconstruction and connection of a partial parallel taxiway to Runway 4-22, renovation of pavement serving the city hangar (an alternate intended to allow future hangar expansion) and a preservation sealcoat on a separate taxiway. Coombs said a third alternate — replacement of a concrete area not open for public use — was ineligible for federal funds and is not recommended for award because it would be 100 percent a local cost.

Coombs explained the city had previously received a design-phase grant and that the current actions continue that project. He told commissioners the bids had initially exceeded available federal funds but that the FAA agreed to allocate additional state apportionment — transfers from other airports' unused funds — amounting to roughly $800,000, which allowed the FAA to cover the entire 95 percent share for this fiscal year. "They are bringing to bear all of that $2,215,000 in this fiscal year," Coombs said, describing the FAA letter the city received after the recommendation of award was written.

Commissioners asked about the fully local third alternate and whether the city could defer it. Olson's representative said postponing that work would require additional patching and preservation in the near term but that local asphalt maintenance could keep the pavement serviceable until a later reconstruction.

Motions were recorded as follows in the meeting transcript: the motion to apply for the grant was moved by Chuck (seconded by Cheryl); the construction contract award was moved by Ron (seconded by Cheryl); the Olson amendment was moved by Cheryl (seconded by Chuck); the Cox and Evergy utility-relocation agreements were moved and seconded during the same segment. All motions carried on voice votes.

The actions approved at the meeting authorize staff and the city attorney to accept and sign the FAA grant offer once issued, proceed with the awarded construction contract pending FAA concurrence, and implement the consulting and utility-relocation agreements needed to complete construction once grant funding is in place.