Airport board weighs keeping Gale Associates for FAA grants, will gather contractor alternatives

The airport board debated whether to stick with its long-running engineering consultant, Gale Associates, for FAA grant applications or to solicit outside grant-writing help.

Board members said Gale has delivered productive work and a predictable compensation arrangement — invoices are typically paid only after FAA reimbursement — but noted turnover among Gale project managers in recent years and asked whether outside contractors or a manager who freelances from Sanford could offer different results. "We don't pay their invoices until we actually receive reimbursement from FAA," one participant said about the current practice; the board discussed whether that approach limits fiscal exposure to the airport.

Members and guest Sean Collins, AOPA’s Eastern regional manager, advised that grant success depends primarily on project priorities in the airport master plan and the FAA/state project prioritization, not on which firm writes the application. Several speakers said the board should confirm its project list and CIP before changing contract strategy.

The board did not vote; members agreed to ask staff to request a list of competing consultants (Stantec, DeFrain/Defrain and others were named during the meeting), to ask Gale whether it subcontracts portions of its work, and to report options at the next meeting.

The board framed the next step as information-gathering: staff will request competitor names and a brief description of alternatives and circulate findings at the next meeting.

The board left procurement intact for now while collecting bids and vendor information to inform a future contract decision.