Council OKs $317,969 FAA grant for Millinocket Municipal Airport taxiway extension; town match noted

The Millinocket Town Council voted July 10 to authorize acceptance and execution of an FAA airport infrastructure grant of $317,969 toward extension of Taxiway D at the Millinocket Municipal Airport.

Councilor Dumeier presented Order 159, which directs the town manager and town attorney to execute and submit all necessary forms related to the FAA grant before the grant's due date of July 28, 2025. The order notes that, under an existing reimbursable agreement with the FAA and the Maine Department of Transportation, the town's out-of-pocket share for the project would equal $7,949.23.

During the public-comment period, resident Sandy Sullivan asked whether the $318,000 would apply to the taxiway extension the council previously approved and whether the town's matching obligation had already been budgeted. "If I remember correctly from past council meetings, the FAA was going to pay only up to a certain point or only approve up to a certain point based on usage back in 2020," Sullivan said, asking whether the grant amount "goes towards the extension that the council had approved?"

The town manager responded that the taxiway project and the runway project are separate: "No. This is a a separate project," the manager said, adding that runway and taxiway work are at different planning and construction phases and that the 2.5% match referenced in the agenda is not included in the present order. The manager said that if the grant moves forward the council would later take up the matching question in a future order unless the current budget can absorb it.

Councilors spoke in support and thanked Senator Collins for advocacy that helped secure the FAA funding. Council then voted; the order passed by unanimous roll-call vote recorded as 7-0.

Next steps: the manager is authorized to execute and submit the grant paperwork; the council will consider any future order addressing the town's matching funds if required.