Collegedale officials prioritize immediate airport repairs, pause PAPI design pending new engineering review

Airport staff and city commissioners reviewed a prioritized list of airport projects and agreed to focus on near-term maintenance and equipment replacements while pausing the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) design pending a contract review and grant-eligibility confirmation.

Airport staff summarized the funding constraint at the meeting: "The airport can only afford to spend so much money a year on repairs and maintenance," and asked the commission to approve the prioritized list so staff could begin work and spend sales-tax funds first, then maintenance funds in the next fiscal year.

Staff reported recent and planned work: LED runway lights have been installed, the next step is moving the windsock lighting to its own circuit and removing old fixtures (an estimated $3,500 for the electrical work). A beacon pole and LED beacon were ordered at a cost staff cited as $17,828, which staff said includes installation but does not include an access deck or pad (staff estimated an additional roughly $5,000 if a deck/pad is needed). Hangar maintenance remains a recurring need, with staff recommending budgeting roughly $10,000 per year for roofs,…