Committee shortens debt-issuance life threshold from 25 to 20 years

Staff recommended reducing the useful-life threshold for debt financing from 25 years to 20 years to better match the practical lives of airport systems such as baggage handling equipment and moving walkways. Robert said the decision reflects experience: some terminal systems have useful lives closer to 20 years, so the policy should align with practice.

"We picked the number 25 years of the life of assets that we would consider to a debt fund... that is why it was driving the change, 25 years to 20, just aligning our practice with our policy," Robert said. The committee approved the policy change on a voice vote after a motion by Ryan Goodwin and a second by Tamika Catchings.

Why it matters: changing the classification threshold affects which projects may be debt-financed and how the authority plans capital improvements. The change was presented as a technical alignment with existing practice, not a new financing strategy.