Airport officials say FDOT policy may require $300,000 local match for reduced hangar plan; AWOS and apron work to proceed

John, an airport project representative, told the Santa Rosa County Peter Prince Airport advisory board that bids for the planned east-side hangars came in higher than expected and that the county is considering a reduced five-unit option that would still require a local match.

"The $1,200,000 grant that we have right now from the DOT requires a 20% local match, which is $300,000," John said, adding that the airport team had planned to use FAA funds as that local match but FDOT staff told them that cannot be done. "Apparently the reverse is not possible. The DOT does not allow you to use federal funds to match state grants." (John: SEG 433–468, SEG 453–464)

John said the airport has asked FDOT for the written policy or document supporting that position and is awaiting that guidance before committing to the project as currently scoped. "We're still looking at all those details right now, and we'll continue to work with Jared ... to make a good decision moving forward," he said. (SEG 476–486)

The project financing as discussed at the meeting: FDOT grant ~ $1,200,000, an FAA grant of about $318,000, and a required 20% local match on the FDOT grant that the airport estimates at roughly $300,000 if FAA funds cannot be counted as the match. John said the team reduced the hangar plan from two rows of 11 T-hangar units to consider 7- and 5-unit options; with current funding the five-unit option appears fundable only if the matching issue is resolved. (SEG 408–446, SEG 426–434)

John also briefed the board on related project timing: the airport will receive updated 95% design drawings for the AWOS system and for the west-apron rehabilitation; the team expects to advertise the apron project for bids in the spring, and FAA grant submittals tied to bids require bids and related documents to be ready by April 20. "We're gonna have our 95% design drawings for this project due this coming Friday," John said of the AWOS plans. (SEG 168–176, SEG 231–235)

On FDOT grant terms going forward, John said FDOT has changed its split policy for revenue-generating hangar projects from an 80/20 state/local split to a 50/50 split effective in 2026; he emphasized that the change does not retroactively affect grants already written. "This year actually in 2026 that changed to fiftyfifty split ... That would start anything starting January 1 that gets issued is all gonna be a 50 50 grant," he said. (SEG 543–553)

Board members asked about alternatives and cost drivers. John said steel price changes since the initial bid had not meaningfully altered the contractor's revised price, and that the team had asked contractors to "sharpen their pencil" and re-scope the project. "They were right, I think, within 2%" of prior steel-price assumptions, he said. (SEG 505–516)

What happens next: the airport team will request written confirmation from FDOT on whether FAA funds can serve as the FDOT local match, confirm the bid and grant schedule, and return to the county with options (including proceeding with a five-unit hangar if funding can be confirmed or pursuing alternate configurations). The board did not take a final vote on hangar funding at this meeting. (SEG 476–486, SEG 501–506)

Ending: The board was told it will receive more detailed documents and procurement materials — including a draft RFP for a separate Leonardo hangar — and members were invited to review those materials before they go live.