TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Kristin Retherford, Director
Urban Development Department
SUBJECT:
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Airport Capital Improvement Project and Federal Aviation Administration Grant Application for Design and Construction of Runway 13/31 Rehabilitation Project
Ward(s): 2
Councilor(s): Andersen
Neighborhood(s): SEMCA
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ISSUE:
Shall the City Council authorize the City Manager to apply for and accept Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program grant funds to be used for the design and construction of Runway 13/31 rehabilitation project?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Authorize the City Manager to apply for and accept Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program grant funds to be used for the design and construction of Runway 13/31 rehabilitation project.
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
Runway 13/31 is the primary runway at the Salem Municipal Airport and is used by nearly all locally-based hangar tenants and transient aircraft utilizing the airport. As the only precision approach runway at the airport, Runway 13/31 is especially important for aircraft operating on instrument flight plans in poor weather. Since the military returned control of the airport back to the City in 1948, the runway was lengthened by 800’ to its current length in 1964, reconstructed and strengthened in 1969, rehabilitated in 1978 and again in 1996, fog-sealed in 2002, and crack-sealed and fog-sealed again in 2009.
In the 2015 Pavement Evaluation/Maintenance Management Program funded by the Oregon Department of Aviation, the Runway 13/31 condition was assessed as satisfactory/fair with pavement condition indices ranging between 59-75 on a scale of 0-100 (Attachments 1 and 2). Forecast condition indices for 2020 show expected pavement condition to fall into the “poor” range; as such, FAA has signaled its interest in undertaking a pavement rehabilitation project in 2017 thereby extending the useful life of the existing pavement for at least another decade.
The design and construction of the Runway 13/31 rehabilitation project is planned to be funded from a combination of FAA entitlement and discretionary grants available in spring 2017. The ability to access both entitlement and discretionary funds requires the City to comply with the FAA’s grant application and acceptance process.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
• The project was not anticipated to occur until 2018 and therefore not included in the City’s current Capital Improvement Plan; budget authority has not previously been secured.
• Total project cost is estimated at $3.93 million, with the federal share expected to be $3.54 million (90%). The City will be required to provide a ten percent grant match, estimated at $393,000. Staff will return with a recommendation to fund the required match, including any necessary fund balance transfers or supplemental budget adjustments.
• The current funding proposal consists of $200,000 of the $393,000 grant match to be funded from Airport contingencies. The remaining match amount of $193,000 would come General Fund contingencies.
• Should the City choose to decline the FAA’s offer of grant funding for the project, the project would need to be constructed within the next five years at the City’s expense. Runway pavement conditions are quickly deteriorating and are expected to fall below acceptable levels within this timeframe.
• The FAA grant application date and final award is expected to be no later than June 30, 2017.
• The use of Airport Improvement Project (AIP) grant funds is restricted to only the scope of the specified capital project for which the FAA has already reviewed and formally approved. Funds cannot be used for any other capital projects or for general airport operations and maintenance.
• Acceptance by the City of AIP grant funds requires the City to continue operating its airport in compliance with all FAA Grant Assurances for up to twenty (20) years following the date of the acceptance of the grant award. The Grant Assurances include: compliance with federal non-discrimination, environmental and contracting regulations, accounting and reporting requirements, and compliance with FAA regulations on the operation of airports.
• Council authorization is required to apply for and accept FAA grant funds.
NEXT STEPS:
Staff will return to Council with a request for for funding the required match, as well as any necessary transfer resolutions or supplemental budgets required to facilitate the receipt and expenditure of grant funds.
John Paskell
Airport Manager
Attachments:
1. Pavement Condition Map
2. Pavement Condition Indicies
10/31/16