Airport board forwards FAA‑approved noise compatibility program to city council

The Laredo International Airport advisory board voted to recommend that the mayor and City Council adopt an updated Noise Compatibility Program for the airport, a staff presentation showed.

City staff and consultants told the board the Federal Aviation Administration accepted the airport’s noise exposure maps in August 2022 and issued a record of approval for the revised NCP in July 2025. The presenters said FAA approval makes specific mitigation measures eligible for federal funding, but does not itself enact local regulations.

"What's important here is the FAA has accepted the noise exposure maps," the consultant presenting the study summarized, noting the approved contours and program measures that the FAA cleared. He also stressed that a Part 150 study is voluntary and is distinct from master plans or environmental reviews.

The presentation walked members through comparative contours for 2019 and projected 2026 conditions and showed where the 65‑decibel day‑night average (DNL) contour expanded, particularly to the north. Staff highlighted proposed changes to the mitigation boundary that would add a half‑mile buffer beyond the 65 dB DNL contour to support proactive land‑use planning while keeping funding eligibility concentrated inside the core mitigation area.

A board member asked whether rooftops inside the new proposed area would qualify for sound‑insulation grants; the presenter said eligibility depends on whether a parcel had previously received treatment and that only parcels identified as not previously mitigated would remain eligible under the program.

The board moved to consider a recommendation to the mayor and City Council to adopt and implement the FAA‑approved NCP measures; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Staff said the consultants would be available to present the NCP at the council meeting and that, if council adopts the measures, staff will pursue available federal grants for mitigation implementation.

Next procedural step: the board forwarded the recommendation to the mayor and City Council for formal consideration and potential ordinance language. No formal council action was recorded in the advisory board transcript.