MDOT grant executed for taxiway work; commission told state funding will reimburse design costs

Airport staff told the commission that the design phase for pavement work on taxiway Charlie, Echo and Foxtrot is complete and that the state grant application has been executed, providing roughly $448,000 in funding for the project. Staff said the airport paid approximately $38,000 for design and will be reimbursed by MDOT once the sponsor contract is processed.

The report came as part of the airport's Pavement Condition Index (PCI) discussion. Staff explained the PCI is updated roughly every three years and helps MDOT and airport consultants prioritize repair and reconstruction. The consultant estimated the airport's full repair needs across all airside pavement at many millions of dollars; the practical funding available is substantially smaller, so staff and MDOT will prioritize lower-PCI (worse) areas.

Key figures discussed: staff said local and state matching and grant-bucket distinctions are important. The consultant estimated a full reconstruction of connector areas could exceed $1.0 million and that panel replacements or targeted repairs may be more realistic if the airport's available funds remain limited. Staff also flagged a potentially large cost for the ramp areas by T-hangars (estimates presented exceeded $2.0 million for that section) and said overall inventory estimates previously shown exceeded $15 million.

Next steps: Staff said the sponsor contract is in process with MDOT and construction cannot start until contractor availability in the spring. The design cost already paid will be reimbursed; staff will discuss the airport's five-year project priorities with MDOT at an upcoming meeting and consider whether to allocate limited funds to panel replacements or full reconstructions.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to continue prioritizing safety and long-term value and to return with cost comparisons and options for phased repair work as planning continues.