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Airports, a division of the Chief Administrative Office, recommending the Board take the following actions pertaining to Federal Aviation Administration and State Matching grants for the Placerville and Georgetown Airports:
1) Approve and authorize the Airports Director to execute three United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration grant agreements, each for a four-year term effective upon execution, and contingent upon approval by County Counsel:
a) Install New Automated Weather Observing System on Existing Tower Project - Design (2023 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) 35401005) and On-Airport Obstruction Removal - Threshold Siting Surface (TSS) & Runway Object Free Area (ROFA) Project - Design (2023 CIP 35401001), Airport Improvement Program grant for the Placerville Airport, in an estimated amount of $97,200 with a maximum County match of $10,800;
b) On-Airport Obstruction Removal - Part 77 Project - Design (2023 CIP 35401001), Airport Infrastructure Grant for the Placerville Airport, in an estimated amount of $36,900 with a maximum County match of $4,100; and
c) Obstruction Removal - TSS & ROFA (On & Off Airport) & Part 77 (On Airport) Project - Timber Harvest Plan - Tree Removal (2023 CIP 35402002), Airport Infrastructure Grant for the Georgetown Airport, in an estimated amount of $61,155 with a maximum County match of $6,795.
2) Approve and authorize the Airports Director to execute a State of California, Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Division Airport Improvement Program Matching Grant, if successful, for the Airport Improvement Program grant, in an estimated amount of $4,860, contingent upon approval by County Counsel; and
3) Authorize the Airports Director to execute and administer any subsequent administrative documents and required fiscal or programmatic reports related to the grants, including amendments, that do not increase Net County Cost, contingent upon County Counsel approval.
FUNDING: Federal Aviation Administration Grant Funding (90%) and General Fund (10%); with a possibility of a 4.5% reduction of General Fund if awarded State funding for the Airport Improvement Program Grant.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
In accordance with Board Policy A-6, Grant Applications, the Airports Division applied for the following Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants, which, if received, would fund ninety percent (90%) of eligible project costs. The County’s General Fund needs to fund the required 10% match requirement, estimated at $21,695.
Grant A) Install New AWOS on Existing Tower Project - Design (CIP 35401005) and On-Airport Obstruction Removal - TSS & ROFA Project - Design (CIP 35401001), Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant for the Placerville Airport, in an estimated amount of $97,200 ($69,300 for CIP 35401005 and $27,900 for CIP 35401001) with a maximum County match of $10,800 ($7,700 for CIP 35401005 and $3,100 for CIP 35401001);
Grant B) On-Airport Obstruction Removal - Part 77 Project - Design (CIP 35401001), Airport Infrastructure Grant for the Placerville Airport, in an estimated amount of $36,900 with a maximum County match of $4,100; and,
Grant C) Obstruction Removal - TSS & ROFA (On & Off Airport) & Part 77 (On Airport) Project - Timber Harvest Plan - Tree Removal (CIP 35402002), Airport Infrastructure Grant for the Georgetown Airport, in an estimated amount of $61,155 with a maximum County match of $6,795.
If awarded these grants, the FAA will send grant offers with grant award letters and grant agreements to the County (sponsor) for signature, and these will include a firm date by which the grant agreements must be signed and returned. This is typically a very compressed time frame and has been as few as one or two days to return the grant agreements. The grant agreements are a standard federal grant agreement, and the County will be unable to make any changes. Due to this compressed time frame for completing the grant agreements, the Chief Administrative Office (Department) requests advance approval and acceptance of these funds and requests that the Board authorize the Airports Director to execute the documents for the FAA grants, subject to County Counsel review and approval, currently estimated at $195,255.
Airports Division staff will forward the FAA grant agreements to County Counsel for expedited review, and upon approval, the Airports Director will execute the original and sponsor copies of the grant agreements, and staff will forward the grant agreements back to County Counsel for the required attorney certification on the grant agreements, which must follow the sponsor’s authorized representative’s signature.
In accordance with Board Policy A-6, Grant Applications, the Department intends to apply for a State of California, Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Division (State) AIP Matching Grant for the FAA AIP grant, which, if received, would fund five percent (5%) of the FAA AIP grant amount for the Install New AWOS on Existing Tower Project - Design and the On-Airport Obstruction Removal - TSS & ROFA Project - Design at the Placerville Airport. FAA Airport Infrastructure Grants are not eligible for State AIP Matching Grants.
State AIP Matching Grants were not programmed in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget as these funds have become unreliable; General Fund was included instead. If the Department is awarded a State AIP Matching Grant, a portion of the General Fund County match, estimated at $4,860, will be replaced with the State matching funds. The Department cannot apply for the State AIP Matching Grant until the FAA grant agreements are executed, which will compress the time frame for issuing the Notice to Proceed to start the design of the Install New AWOS on Existing Tower Project and the On-Airport Obstruction Removal - TSS & ROFA Project at the Placerville Airport. To expedite this process and keep the projects on schedule, the Department requests that the Board authorize the Airports Director to execute the documents for the State AIP Matching Grant, subject to County Counsel review and approval.
The FAA grant agreement applications are attached (Attachments A-C). The State AIP Matching Grant Agreement for a current project, administered under a similar process, is attached as an example (Attachment D).
Install New AWOS on Existing Tower Project - Design (CIP 35401005)
A new Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) is needed to update the existing facilities at the Placerville Airport, which are over 20 years old and require extensive maintenance. Expensive equipment maintenance provides only temporary solutions, which would be eliminated with the new AWOS. The proposed project includes removing AWOS sensors from the existing AWOS, installing new AWOS sensors on the existing AWOS tower and foundations, installing new cable in existing duct from existing panel at segmented circle to existing AWOS site, and installing new AWOS equipment in the Placerville Airport office building. The FAA AIP grant is for the engineering design of this project.
On-Airport Obstruction Removal - TSS & ROFA Project - Design (CIP 35401001)
Trees exist in the Threshold Siting Surface (TSS) and Runway Object Free Area (ROFA) at the Placerville Airport that were identified as obstructions to these surfaces and need to be removed. The FAA AIP grant is for the engineering design of this project.
On-Airport Obstruction Removal - Part 77 Project - Design (CIP 35401001)
Trees exist in the Part 77 surface area at the Placerville Airport that were identified as obstructions to this surface area and need to be removed. The FAA Airport Infrastructure Grant is for the engineering design of this project.
Obstruction Removal - TSS & ROFA (On & Off Airport) & Part 77 (On Airport) Project - Timber Harvest Plan - Tree Removal (CIP 35402002)
This FAA Airport Infrastructure Grant is for a Timber Harvest Plan (THP) for the Georgetown Airport. If the FAA awards this grant and it is approved by the County, as a part of this grant the FAA will reimburse the County for 90% of eligible upfront costs already incurred for Phase 1 of the THP, estimated at $16,935.
The County hired a contractor to cut down approximately three acres of trees in May/June 2024 at the Georgetown Airport in the TSS that were identified as obstructions to this surface area and needed to be removed.
To gain access to FAA funding for removal of trees that will become obstructions in the TSS and ROFA and Part 77 surface area in the near future, this project will require National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation. In order to prepare a thorough NEPA document to address obstruction removal, it is necessary that a State of California Timber Harvest Plan (THP) be prepared in accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 14, § 1032.7 et al. The THP would be prepared to plan obstruction removal in accordance with guidance provided by CAL FIRE. The THP would identify environmental conditions, plan ingress, egress, and timber landing locations, identify potential impacts, recommend mitigation measures, and ultimately allow a Registered Professional Forester to mark trees to be removed. The THP is an equivalent California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document, and the FAA San Francisco Airports District Office decided that the THP must proceed and be approved by CAL FIRE before NEPA documentation can proceed. If the FAA San Francisco Airports District Office determines that an Environmental Assessment (EA) is needed for this project, rather than a Categorical Exclusion, in order to obtain FAA funding for the EA and the eventual obstruction removal for this project, the THP must be completed.
Phase 1 of the THP includes preparation of a cultural resources report and biological inventory of the areas which would be affected by obstruction (trees) removal. These reports will support Phase 2 - preparation of a THP, review of the THP, and the preparation of the Timberland Conversion Permit.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to approve any or all of the grant agreements, which would result in the County not receiving grants that will fund 90% (FAA) of eligible project costs for all of the projects listed above, which includes 90% of eligible project costs already incurred for the THP for CIP 35402002 for the Georgetown Airport, and, possibly, 4.5% (State) for the design of CIP 35401005 and CIP 35401001 at the Placerville Airport.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
Legistar file 23-0851 - June 6, 2023 - Board adopted the 2023 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) which included Airports projects.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
If approved, County Counsel will review and approve the FAA grant agreements and will provide the required attorney certification on the grant agreements. If the County is successful in obtaining a State AIP Matching Grant, County Counsel will review and approve the State grant agreement.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funding for the FAA grant agreements will be provided by the FAA (90%) with the local match from the General Fund (10%). Specific breakdowns per grant are as follows:
Should the grant for the Placerville Install New AWOS on Existing Tower Project and the Placerville On-Airport Obstruction Removal TSS & ROFA Project be approved and executed (Grant A), the combined project cost will be $108,000. The AWOS portion of the project is is $77,000, which would use $69,300 in the FAA grant funding and $7,700 in General Fund. The TSS & ROFA portion of the project is $31,000, which would use $27,900 in FAA grant funding and $3,100 in General Fund.
Should the grant for the Placerville On-Airport Obstruction Removal Part 77 Project be approved and executed (Grant B), the project total will be $41,000, which would use $36,900 in the FAA grant funding and $4,100 in General Fund.
Should the grant for the Georgetown Obstruction Removal TSS & ROFA (On & Off Airport) & Part 77 (On Airport) Project/Timber Harvest Plan/Tree Removal be approved and executed (Grant C), the total project cost will be $67,950, which would use $61,155 in the FAA grant funding and $6,795 in General Fund; however, because eligible project costs have already been incurred by the County, if the FAA awards this grant and it is approved by the County, as a part of this grant the FAA will reimburse the County for 90% of eligible upfront costs already incurred for Phase 1 of the THP, estimated at $16,935.
If the County is successful in receiving a State AIP Matching Grant, a portion of the General Fund funding (5% of FAA AIP grant amount which typically equals 4.5% of the design of the Placerville Install New AWOS on Existing Tower Project and the Placerville On-Airport Obstruction Removal - TSS & ROFA Project costs) will be replaced with the State matching funds, estimated at $4,860.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Public Infrastructure
CONTACT
Jennifer Franich, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Airports Director