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Commission presses contractor on tower rehab after commissioners call workmanship "embarrassing"
Summary
Commissioners criticized the quality and schedule of a federally funded tower rehabilitation, demanding contractor corrections and clarifying which repairs FAA and state grants will cover; staff said the contractor agreed to return and that remaining state grant funds could cover select touch-ups.
Commissioners at the Nov. 20 Springdale Airport Commission meeting pressed staff and the contractor to address substandard work on a federally funded tower rehabilitation project and asked for a faster, more transparent correction plan.
Greg Garber, the project lead, summarized the strategic plan work and the tower project status, noting two active projects and an expectation to return with estimates for HVAC and generator work. Commissioners, led by Micah Thomason, described the installed cabinetry and finish work in the tower as low quality and argued it could hamper controller operations. "The work that has been done is an embarrassment," Thomason said, citing seams, miscut formica and areas where the finish did not meet expectations.
Garber said the contractor and subcontractors were aware of the deficiencies and were "committed to getting it right," but that some corrections would require multiple mobilizations. He explained that FAA grant funds are narrowly scoped to cabinetry and radio equipment replacement; items outside FAA scope (for example certain ceiling tiles, carpet and finish work) could be paid from a remaining state grant with roughly $70,000 to $80,000 left after the generator and HVAC are accounted for. Garber said he prioritizes the tower manager's needs: "Mike Sparks is my number 1 priority," he told commissioners.
Commissioners sought clearer documentation of costs, timelines and photos or video of progress. They discussed the difficulty of scheduling work around an active tower and the limited pool of contractors willing to bid on small, complex tower projects. Estimates discussed in the meeting included a roughly $315,000 total figure for the rehabilitation, with about $155,000 attributed to air traffic control equipment and other items described during questions.
Garber and the contractor agreed to return with cabinet installers and to schedule mobilizations to address seams and finish defects; commissioners asked staff to provide ongoing photos and updates so the commission could track progress and contractor responsiveness.
No formal vote was taken to change the contract at the Nov. 20 meeting; commissioners instructed staff to bring the contractor, tower manager and project lead together quickly to resolve outstanding issues and to keep the commission updated.
