Martin County awards $544,503 bid for AWOS site prep at county airport; state grants to cover most costs
July 01, 2026 | Martin County, North Carolina
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Martin County commissioners on Feb. 13 awarded a $544,503 contract for clearing and site preparation at the Martin County Airport, a key step to installing an Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) that will provide pilots and the broader community with local weather data.
County Manager David Bone said the AWOS clearing and site‑preparation project is estimated at $640,326; 90 percent of the work is expected to be funded through the State Block Grant / NPE Program and 10 percent through the State Aid to Airports Program. Bids were due Feb. 4, and the low responsive bid was Rifenburg Construction of Zebulon for $544,503. Bone said the county will initially provide local funds if needed and be reimbursed once state block grant funds are disbursed in the fall of 2019.
Commissioner Joe R. Ayers moved to award the project to the lowest responsible bidder, Rifenburg Construction, and Commissioner Ronnie Smith seconded; the Board approved the motion unanimously. The county’s airport consultant (W.K. Dickson) and prior similar utility‑relocation agreements with The Wooten Company were cited as precedents for project management and contracting.
Supporters told the board the AWOS will increase safety for pilots using the airport and provide more accurate local weather information to the public and media outlets. The project includes clearing and grubbing approximately 20 acres of upland and clearing about 4 acres of wetland without ground disturbance to create the AWOS site.
What happens next: The county will execute the contract with Rifenburg Construction and coordinate grant reimbursement timing with state officials; initial local funding may be required until state disbursements arrive.
County Manager David Bone said the AWOS clearing and site‑preparation project is estimated at $640,326; 90 percent of the work is expected to be funded through the State Block Grant / NPE Program and 10 percent through the State Aid to Airports Program. Bids were due Feb. 4, and the low responsive bid was Rifenburg Construction of Zebulon for $544,503. Bone said the county will initially provide local funds if needed and be reimbursed once state block grant funds are disbursed in the fall of 2019.
Commissioner Joe R. Ayers moved to award the project to the lowest responsible bidder, Rifenburg Construction, and Commissioner Ronnie Smith seconded; the Board approved the motion unanimously. The county’s airport consultant (W.K. Dickson) and prior similar utility‑relocation agreements with The Wooten Company were cited as precedents for project management and contracting.
Supporters told the board the AWOS will increase safety for pilots using the airport and provide more accurate local weather information to the public and media outlets. The project includes clearing and grubbing approximately 20 acres of upland and clearing about 4 acres of wetland without ground disturbance to create the AWOS site.
What happens next: The county will execute the contract with Rifenburg Construction and coordinate grant reimbursement timing with state officials; initial local funding may be required until state disbursements arrive.
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