Port of Bremerton approves WSDOT airport grant application to fund ALP update

The Port of Bremerton Commission on Tuesday approved a resolution authorizing submission of a Washington State Department of Transportation Aviation Division Airport Aid grant application to fund an update to the airport layout plan and related phase‑2 planning work.

Cole, a port staff member presenting the item, said the grant application requests $17,197.73 and carries a 5% local match. "The grant application going to Foxconn Aviation this year will be the 17,197 dollars and 73 cents. It's a 5% match," Cole said. He told commissioners the port also received $300,000 from the aeronautics budget and an FAA award of $326,756 for related projects.

Why it matters: staff said the WSDOT grant, combined with federal and local funds, will pay for elements of a scoped phase‑2 study that the port described as necessary to get FAA funding for certain project elements. Cole said the port contracted Mead & Hunt to perform the scoped aviation study; he characterized the $6.43 figure discussed in the meeting as a downscoped amount from an originally larger master‑plan budget, and said Mead & Hunt removed parts of the original plan that the FAA did not require so the port could save costs.

Details and discussion: Cole said the work being funded by the grant includes an ALP update that will tie into terminal planning, parking planning and other phase‑2 study elements. He said the FAA encouraged the port to reduce the size of a previously proposed master plan and to scope this work specifically to what the FAA required to secure federal funds.

Commissioners asked timing and expenditure questions; Cole said the grant must be expended in 2025. When asked, Cole said he would confirm whether the current resolution approval satisfies future submittal requirements or if the commission will need to approve similar resolutions for future applications.

A motion to approve the resolution was made and seconded; the commission recorded unanimous votes in favor. The clerk recorded votes as Commissioner Bozeman: yes; Commissioner Anderson: yes; Commissioner Strickland: yes. The motion carried.

What was not decided: the presenter said he would verify whether the port will need a separate commission approval for each future WSDOT Aviation Division grant submittal. The contract amount with Mead & Hunt was discussed in the meeting but the transcript contains inconsistent numeric phrasing about that figure; staff said they would confirm exact contract payment details with another staff member.

Next steps: staff will submit the WSDOT Aviation Division Airport Aid application and follow up with commissioners about any outstanding contract or future approval questions.