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Athens council clears steps to access $14 million for airport improvements; tight grant timeline highlighted
Summary
The City Council authorized the city manager to execute agreements with TxDOT to access a $14 million state appropriation for Athens Municipal Airport improvements and reviewed the airport layout plan, with staff warning of an extended aeronautical survey timeline and firm grant spending deadlines in 2029.
The Athens City Council on June 22 approved a resolution letting the city manager execute agreements necessary to access $14 million in state funding for improvements at Athens Municipal Airport.
City Manager Elizabeth Borstad told council the funds were secured in the 2025 legislative session and that signing the required documents and following TxDOT’s process will allow staff to move forward with a grant agreement. She said the city’s required match is $736,842, representing a 5% contribution. "Once we sign this resolution and submit it to TxDOT...they can take it to the Commission and have that grant agreement drawn up for us to sign and move forward," Borstad said.
Borstad also reviewed the Airport Layout Plan that staff plans to submit to the Texas Department of Transportation for review and then forward to the Federal Aviation Administration. She warned the project timeline includes an aeronautical survey she described as taking about "473 days" to complete and noted the grant funds must be expended by August 2029, with the final reimbursement request due in July 2029. She described the schedule as "very tight" and said staff was working to meet milestones.
Council also appointed a selection committee to review qualifications for airport engineering design services so the city can select consultants for design work and an environmental engineering firm to complete required reviews for a runway realignment.
The resolution authorizing execution of agreements with TxDOT passed unanimously. Next steps are completing the Airport Layout Plan submission, finalizing the grant agreement with TxDOT, selecting engineering consultants, and completing the aeronautical survey and environmental review needed for runway work.
