Advisory committee forwards Wichita airport application by consensus; staff records reduced federal awards for several projects

The Build Kansas Fund Advisory Committee decided by consensus to forward an airport infrastructure grant application from the Wichita Airport Authority to the federal government and recorded staff-requested adjustments to several previously approved awards after federal award amounts were reduced.

Kevin Veil presented application 2020-583 from the Wichita Airport Authority for airfield pavement rehabilitation, including taxiway and apron work and upgrades to signage and lighting. Veil said the applicant reported a local contribution of $149,425 and that the application would unlock $13,448,169 in federal funds for a total project cost of $14,942,410. Veil noted the program’s 90/10 match structure for that federal program and said the applicant’s 1% local contribution met the advisory committee’s minimum 5%-of-match requirement as the committee defines it (the presenter explained the 5% minimum applies to the match amount, not to the total project cost). By consensus the committee instructed staff to forward the application to the federal government.

Later in the meeting staff recorded application amendments to reflect smaller federal awards than originally requested, which reduced Build Kansas Fund allocations and will be adjusted with the state treasurer’s office. Veil said he could not explain why the federal awards were reduced; he said applicants trimmed project scopes to match the lesser federal awards. Staff provided three examples:

- Salina Airport Authority: originally requested a federal award of $14,165,007.54 and received $6,419,098; the Build Kansas Fund share was reduced from $745,005.66 to $337,847.

- Morton County: originally requested $336,000 and received $236,257; the Build Kansas Fund award reduced from $37,334 to $26,250.

- Osage County (Railroad Crossing Elimination): originally requested $2,100,000 and received $596,000; the Build Kansas Fund award reduced from $525,000 to $149,000.

Veil said the Build Kansas Fund portions not used because of reduced federal awards would be recycled into the fund for redistribution and that staff would make the adjustments with the state treasurer’s office.

Committee members asked whether federal freezes or administration changes were limiting available federal programs. Veil said the committee currently sees 39 active federal programs after 35 programs were pulled back by the administration, and that some programs — including the PROTECT program — are temporarily paused while guidance is rewritten. Staff said they will continue to process Build Kansas Fund applications so a backlog does not develop when federal programs reopen.