Juneau airport presents FY27 budget, warns urgent need to secure a second ARFF truck

Juneau Airport Manager Andres Delgado told a joint meeting of the Special Assembly Finance Committee and the Juneau Airport Board that the airportis projecting a modest FY26 underspend and moving into FY27 with several planned adjustments, but a shortage of aircraft rescue firefighting (ARFF) vehicles creates a near-term operational risk.

Delgado said FY26 is approximately $110,000 under budget, largely because a mild winter reduced the airportuse of runway deicer. He reported changes to the airportfinancial model that reassign benefits among user groups and explained an expected federal grant of about $1 million to fund runway and taxiway painting under the 2024 FAA reauthorization.

But the most urgent issue, Delgado said, concerns the ARFF fleet. "We had, really no choice but to finance the purchase of this," he said of a recent $1,000,000 truck buy from the airport fund after the FAA rescinded an AIP grant because of the procurement method used. Delgado described a period when two of the airportfleet were out of service and the airport was operating with a single in-service truck borrowed from Gustavus, noting that losing that remaining truck would reduce the airport to "ARF 0" status and bar air carrier service.

Board members and staff discussed near-term acquisition options. Finance Director Angie Flick said the cityprocurement code allows expedited purchases of used vehicles and that the central fleet reserve could provide appropriation authority to buy a truck quickly, with passenger facility charge (PFC) revenue or other airport receipts used later to reimburse the reserve. Delgado listed potential sources: airport fund balance, sales-tax collections, and the CBJ fleet reserve, plus PFC reimbursement afterward.

Delgado also proposed restoring the deputy airport manager position for operational continuity and continuing to fully encumber deicer costs in FY27. He said the airport will pursue a policy to replace ARFF vehicles on roughly a 10-year cycle to avoid parts scarcity and single-point failures.

The airport board emphasized the urgency of avoiding ARF 0 during the summer travel season and asked staff to prepare a one-page memo describing options and timing. Finance staff said a purchase order and wire could be executed quickly if a suitable used vehicle appears, though logistics (inspection, shipping to Juneau, outfitting and training) will add time before service placement.

No formal appropriation or assembly ordinance was recorded at the meeting; attendees discussed options and next steps for rapid procurement and reimbursement pathways.

Delgado and board members also covered capital projects in the CIP, including an FAA-led $25 million approach-lighting reconstruction and pending grant applications for a new control tower, and noted outstanding reimbursements from the state(DMVA) of just under $300,000 for riverbank stabilization work.

The board recessed for 10 minutes and then continued to the Bartlett Hospital joint session. The airport staff said they would return with a short memo summarizing immediate options for securing a second ARFF truck.