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Truth or Consequences authorizes grant applications to update airport layout plan
Summary
The Truth or Consequences City Commission authorized city staff to apply for FAA and NMDOT grant funding to update the airport layout plan, a 12‑month planning project costing about $582,000 that would modernize maps, assess unimproved runways and support future taxiway and runway work.
The Truth or Consequences City Commission voted unanimously on June 10 to authorize city staff to apply for federal and state grant funding to update the city airport’s airport layout plan (ALP) and related planning documents.
Cheryl Rodriguez, an airport engineer with Delta Airport Consultants, told commissioners the existing ALP is about 20 years old and “does not meet FAA standards,” and said the update will include an Exhibit A property map, a terminal‑area plan, a narrative report and development alternatives for future hangar and revenue‑generating facilities. “The airport layout plan is a critical document that shows existing and future development conditions for the airport,” Rodriguez said.
City staff presented a proposed professional‑services package and subcontract scope that would support a roughly 12‑month planning effort. The project cost in the materials reviewed by the commission totaled $582,000, the city said: Delta’s professional services, a subcontract for aerial survey work and a boundary survey were the largest line items. Staff said the FAA would be asked for about $274,000, the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) aviation division roughly $301,000, and the city’s share would be approximately $6,810 (the sponsor share for the FAA portion of eligible work).
City Attorney Jay Rivett and other commissioners asked for and received clarification that the packet included Delta’s scope and budget but did not contain the boilerplate FAA grant application; staff said the scope and cost estimates would be transposed into the formal grant application and returned to the commission for final contract approval if the grant is awarded. Delta also named Sauder Miller & Associates as the boundary‑survey subcontractor and NB5 as the aerial‑survey subcontractor; both were described as required for FAA compliance.
Commissioners framed the ALP update as the necessary first step to qualify for larger capital projects, including reconstruction of Taxiway Alpha and, later, runway work. The city manager said updating the ALP and Exhibit A will position the airport to leverage available federal and state dollars in the current funding window established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and FAA programs.
Votes at a glance
- Authorize ALP grant applications (motion to allow staff/mayor to apply and execute grant agreements): approved unanimously. (Recorded motion and unanimous carry.) - Consent calendar (minutes and advisory‑board minutes): approved unanimously. - Government relations contract with Civility Government Relations: approved (see separate story).
What happens next
City staff will finalize the FAA and NMDOT grant applications using the scope and cost figures presented and submit them in the current funding cycle. If the grants are awarded, staff said Delta would be issued a notice to proceed and the planning work would begin after federal funds become available (the FY federal cycle typically provides awards late summer/fall; work may start after funding availability). The full project and any final contract with Delta will return to the commission for formal approval if the grant is awarded and the city’s budget needs adjusting.
Speakers quoted or paraphrased in this article are drawn from the commission meeting record; direct quotes are attributed to speakers on the meeting record.
