Caldwell airport director outlines terminal upgrades, federal grant push and revenue mix in FY26 budget

Scott Swanson, the city’s director of aviation, told the Caldwell City Council the airport’s fiscal 2026 budget centers on improving the terminal’s brand identity and capturing more operational data to guide business decisions.

Swanson said the terminal work would include redesigning the pilot lounge and upgrading amenities in the Hubler building to make the facility more attractive to pilots and aeronautical businesses. “I want to put my plane here. I want to fly here,” Swanson said, describing the intent behind the “brand identity and value proposition” effort.

The airport also plans a multiyear pavement project. Swanson said the city anticipates a full tear-out, remill and repave for the center section of Taxiway Charlie, a program that will be completed in phases over about three years because the pavement is roughly 48 years old. He told council the next Federal Aviation Administration grant round for an air traffic control tower would open in August and that the city is competitively positioned to apply.

Swanson gave a breakdown of the airport’s recurring revenues, saying ground leases for hangars are the largest source—about $308,000 annually—followed by agricultural leases of roughly $18,000 and tie-down fees in the $22,000–$28,000 range. He said a fuel-flow fee instituted in FY25 brings in about $10,000–$12,000 a year and that smaller lease-processing and gate-card fees add additional income. Swanson added he would prefer to use non-aeronautical revenue opportunities so as to avoid raising tenant leasing rates.

He described recent private investment at the Hubler terminal, including Cumulus Aviation (a Sprint Park Aviation affiliate) redeveloping the west end into a pilot lounge and an anticipated full-service FBO and restaurant proposed by Silver Hawks, with construction expected to start by late summer. Swanson also noted removal of a farmhouse and a house used for fire training has opened nearly two acres for potential non-aeronautical revenue.

On capital funding, Swanson said the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the FAA Airport Improvement Program remain important federal funding sources. He told the council that if the city can secure a project in FY26, the federal participation rate would be 95 percent; later rounds (FY27) would fund at 90 percent, he said. He also described plans to spend roughly $100,000 on infrastructure planning and design for the north side of the airport in FY26.

The airport will begin an operations-monitoring contract in October to replace extrapolation from old data with direct counts: Swanson showed a sample report that captured about 1,464 operations in a four-day span and said the system will cost about $3,000 a year. “Next year when it comes back around to June, we'll have a really good idea on what is happening on the airport,” he said.

Councilors asked construction timing and funding-share questions. Swanson estimated a “SWAG guess” (an informal estimate) that construction on the new FBO building could begin in spring 2027 and finish by early winter 2027. He answered that the federal share would be 95 percent if awarded in FY26 and 90 percent if in FY27, and clarified that the control-tower staff would be FAA-contracted employees, not city employees.

Swanson closed by stressing the airport’s focus on self-funding future development and on using data to guide decisions. He said he is available for follow-up questions and that staff will return to council at the strategic planning workshop in August for further discussion on airport priorities.

Ending — Swanson left the council with a projection—stated in the presentation in approximate terms—that FY26 revenues and expenses are close to balance and that planned investments are intended to raise the airport’s profile and self-funding capacity.