Board reviews taxiway relocation, apron reconstruction and small pavement repairs; engineer offers options to package work for funding

Engineers and staff briefed the board on several airfield capital projects and funding pathways, including the Taxiway Alpha 1 relocation, apron expansion, taxi-lane reconstruction and a locally funded mill-and-overlay estimated at $54,670.50 in front of two FPO hangars.

Taxiway Alpha 1 and apron projects: The board learned that design for Taxiway Alpha 1 is complete and that construction is slated to start as soon as weather permits; staff talked about targeting a March start for the alpha-1 work. Preparatory work will require temporary runway configuration changes and NOTAMs; staff said they plan to shorten the usable runway temporarily and use Alpha 2 access so the airfield remains operational while construction proceeds. Engineering staff recommended packaging apron expansion and apron reconstruction work into coordinated bid schedules so locally funded portions (e.g., parking-lot patches or limited mill-and-overlay sections) can be awarded as locally funded bid schedules within a larger FAA-funded contract, which reduces per-unit cost.

Pavement repairs at FPO hangars: An engineer’s estimate for mill-and-overlay of the pavement in front of two storage hangars (area used by fuel trucks and a drive-through gate) is $54,670.50. Staff reported the area has existing deterioration and at least one developing sinkhole at the gate exterior. The board discussed options: (1) fund the work locally as part of the larger apron contract; (2) request a contribution from the tenant (Redtail) for the segment adjacent to their operations; or (3) package the work to compete for a grant or loan (for example, the Community Impact Board, or CIB). Engineers said including the local items in the bid package will likely lower cost compared with doing the small job on its own.

Borrow-site and environmental clearance: Staff proposed identifying a nearby cleared area south of the project as a borrow site to reduce hauls and cost. The proposed borrow footprint requires FAA environmental clearances (categorical exclusion) or additional cultural/field reviews if the FAA determines the area was not previously cleared; staff will follow up with FAA environmental reviewers. Existing fill material from the old runway might be usable but likely will not supply all needed volume.

Funding and grants: Board members discussed applying for planning grants (for engineering) and CIB funding for design work, and staff recommended early scoping. Staff said a draft scope for design and phased construction-cost estimates could be produced in roughly two weeks to support grant applications. Members noted federal funding timing is uncertain due to recent federal-level actions that could delay FAA grants in the near term.

Next steps: Staff will prepare a scoped proposal for design costs (terminal parking design and phased construction estimates) and circulate it to the board and county staff for CIB and other funding applications. Staff will also revise the local bid schedule to include the mill-and-overlay item and work with engineers to provide a firm construction estimate for CIB or other grant applicants.