The Nacogdoches City Council authorized staff March 5 to send a letter of interest to TxDOT Aviation for two airport projects: a runway pavement overlay to restore strength and a comprehensive airport layout plan, airport manager Colin Smith said.
Smith said TxDOT Aviation indicated those two projects should be prioritized because state and federal funding flows through the agency and they are safety- and planning-focused. He said the runway overlay could be part of a larger $5 million project and that TxDOT offered a roughly 90/10 match for both the pavement work and the airport layout plan. "They're willing to pay for 90% of the project," Smith said, adding the city's share for the layout plan would be about $40,000 and most runway costs would likely come from the bond proceeds if the city is selected for funding.
Smith said an updated airport layout plan (the official FAA/TxDOT plan) would be a multi-sheet document including property and obstruction surveys and would help the city check boxes on future grant applications. Finance staff and council discussed timing for selling bonds to generate the city's share; interim finance director Todd Simono said the city expects to enter the market in April after completing financial statements and audit work.
A councilmember moved to approve the letter of interest to TxDOT Aviation regarding the runway paving project and airport layout plan; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.