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Salinas Airport reports rising operations, DBE goal maintained and taxi-lane rehab cost increase after delayed FAA award
Summary
The Salinas Airport Commission on May 22 received an operations report showing month-over-month increases in flight operations and fuel sales, a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise goal set at 6.7 percent for DOT-funded work, and an update that a delayed FAA award likely raised the local cost of a taxi-lane rehabilitation by roughly $90,000.
The Salinas Airport Commission on May 22 received an operations report showing month-over-month increases in flight operations and fuel sales, an informational update on ongoing facility improvements and events, confirmation that the city’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal will remain at 6.7 percent for DOT-funded projects, and an update that a delayed Federal Aviation Administration award has likely increased local costs for a planned taxi-lane rehabilitation.
Airport staff told commissioners that operations rose beginning in December 2024 and continued through April, attributing the increase to better weather, more aircraft being operational in hangars and the presence of storage capacity at the airport. Staff also noted an upcoming flight school that is expected to raise activity over time. The operations presentation included fuel-flow data; staff reported roughly 11,953 gallons of low‑lead fuel for December 2024 (as shown in the presentation) and said jet‑A fuel sales have been strong in subsequent months.
Staff reviewed planned facility and community items: a patio/amenity project with triangular sail-like structures and low-level mood lighting; new concrete work and landscaping; a decorative rock feature (about 1,500 pounds) that will be engraved with the airport identifier "SNS"; and a schedule to hold quarterly fly‑in events (staff estimated 200–250 attendees at a recent event). Staff said the airport hopes to locate future events more centrally in front of the on-site restaurant and add vendors if fly-ins grow.
On federal funding and contracting, staff said the DBE goal for DOT-funded projects will remain at 6.7 percent and that the commission’s forecasted contract amount for the 2025–2027 period is approximately $3,500,000; staff noted that figure is subject to change if the airport receives more or different federal funding. Regarding the taxi-lane rehabilitation on the south side (a mill-and-fill procedure), staff said the FAA’s slow award process left a contractor’s 90-day bid hold expired; the contractor would not hold the original price and staff estimated the additional local cost at about $90,000.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the timing and cost implications of the taxi-lane work. Staff said the airport will present requests for additional funds to the commission and that construction needs to proceed to avoid more extensive future deterioration. The presentation was handled as an informational/administrative update; no commission action was required on the DBE goal at the meeting because the project work will be administered through Public Works and subject to subsequent approvals.
Earlier in the meeting the commission approved a consent agenda that accepted the April 24 meeting minutes, the operations report and the fuel-flowage report. The consent agenda passed on a voice vote with no recorded no votes.
