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Committee clears airport grants, UAvionics radar service and concessions contract at Hilton Head Airport
Summary
The Public Facilities Committee approved multiple airport-related actions Oct. 20 including acceptance of South Carolina Aeronautics grant funding (parking-lot design), a master service/subscription agreement with UAvionics for radar viewing at the Hilton Head Island Airport control tower (5-year agreement, contingent grant funding), and a concessions contract award to Tailwind Hospitality, Inc.
The Beaufort County Public Facilities Committee on Oct. 20 approved several airport-related resolutions and contract awards intended to upgrade operations at Hilton Head Island Airport.
Committee members approved acceptance of South Carolina Aeronautics Commission entitlement grant funding to support design and bidding for parking-lot improvements at Hilton Head Island Airport; the acceptance is contingent upon final grant offers. Staff said the entitlement funding will allow the county to design a parking upgrade and implement license-tag readers required by a new vendor.
The committee also approved a master service agreement and a five-year flight-line subscription and data-license arrangement with UAvionics (UAvionics Corporation) to provide radar-viewing capability to the airport’s contract tower controllers. Airport staff said the FAA in August identified a single provider for radar capability in contract towers and that the subscription fee follows a fee schedule determined by tower location. The county will pursue South Carolina Aeronautics entitlement funding to defray the cost of an airborne position reference tool for the tower; those grants are contingent on final approval.
In a separate action, the committee approved awarding a contract to Tailwind Hospitality, Inc. to manage retail food-and-beverage concessions at the expanded Hilton Head terminal. Staff told the committee the procurement emphasized using local vendors and that concession revenue is expected to grow with the new terminal footprint.
All airport motions were approved with no objection on the committee floor.
What to expect next: grant acceptances remain contingent on final offers from the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission, staff will execute the UAvionics agreements as authorized, and Tailwind Hospitality will proceed as the concessionaire under contract terms approved by the committee.
Representative quotes: "This is simply entitlement funding from South Carolina Aeronautics to fund the design and bidding portion . . . so we can upgrade our parking lot," said airport staff (presentation). "This is a 5-year contract, optional renewal," staff said about the UAvionics subscription; the same presentation noted the FAA selected the provider earlier in August.
