FAA awards SALOI and discretionary grant that together essentially fund terminal project

Airport staff reported a major funding development for the terminal expansion: the airport received a Small Airport Letter of Intent (SALOI) commitment of $10 million over five years and an FY26 discretionary grant that was increased from $17.5 million to $20 million, producing a not-to-exceed package of up to $30 million.

Don described the SALOI program as new for FY26 and said the airport was the only applicant awarded under the program in the first year. He told the board the FY26 $20 million discretionary grant will be distributed to the airport for immediate use and, because of airport size, will carry a 5% local match rather than the usual 10%.

When asked where the match will come from, staff said the local match will be covered by bond dollars approved by voters in 2025 and that roughly 78.2% of the project was accepted as grant-eligible by FAA; staff also said some design choices for later packages might be revisited if bids exceed current estimates.

A motion to recommend acceptance of the SALOI/grant package (up to $30 million) passed unanimously by voice vote, and staff indicated they will proceed to bid phases for later packages and return recommendations for contract awards in late fall.