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Community Development Services, Administration and Finance Division, recommending the Board consider the following actions pertaining to the On-airport Obstruction Removal Project at the Georgetown Airport, Project 93503 / 35402002/3:
1) Provide grant award acceptance and approval of a Federal Aviation Administration Grant Agreement and Terms and Conditions of Accepting Airport Improvement Program Grants in an estimated amount of $79,200.00 from the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, and authorize the Chief Administrative Officer or designee to execute all associated documents (P&C 345-F1811), subject to review and approval by County Counsel; and
2) Provide grant award acceptance and approval for a State of California, Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Division Airport Improvement Program Matching Grant in an estimated amount of $3,960.00, if successful, and authorize the Chief Administrative Officer or designee to execute all associated documents (P&C 346-F1811), subject to review and approval by County Counsel.
FUNDING: Federal Aviation Administration Grants (90%) and Accumulated Capital Outlay Fund (10%). (Federal Funds)
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Community Development Services, Administration and Finance Division (CDS), recommending the Board consider the following actions pertaining to the On-airport Obstruction Removal Project at the Georgetown Airport (Project), Project 93503 / 35402002/3:
1) Provide grant award acceptance and approval of a Federal Aviation Administration Grant Agreement and Terms and Conditions of Accepting Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Grants in an estimated amount of $79,200.00 from the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, and authorize the Chief Administrative Officer or designee to execute all associated documents (P&C 345-F1811), subject to review and approval by County Counsel; and
2) Provide grant award acceptance and approval for a State of California, Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Division AIP Matching Grant in an estimated amount of $3,960.00, if successful, and authorize the Chief Administrative Officer or designee to execute all associated documents (P&C 346-F1811), subject to review and approval by County Counsel.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On September 16, 2014 (Item 8), the Board authorized the Director of the then Community Development Agency or his designee to sign, subject to County Counsel approval, a Grant Agreement and Terms and Conditions of Accepting AIP Grants for grant funds in the amount of $81,000 from the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct an obstruction survey and develop an obstruction mitigation plan at the Georgetown Airport.
The purpose of this analysis was to verify obstacles located within the airspace surrounding the Airport and identify obstructions that penetrate the surfaces as identified in FAA Advisory Circular 150 / 5300-18B for runways with vertical guidance, Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 77 imaginary surfaces and Threshold Siting Surface (TSS). Protection of these surfaces is essential in providing a safe aircraft operating environment. Identified obstructions within them can affect the approach and departure procedures at the Airport and limit aircraft operations at the Airport.
The County’s airport consultant completed the obstruction survey and developed the mitigation plan, which identifies many obstructions (trees) that need to be removed or topped. The County’s airport consultant prepared an environmental evaluation of the Project, and on January 4, 2018, CDS received a determination by the FAA that the Project is Categorically Excluded pursuant to FAA Order 1050.1F as it relates to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
In accordance with Board Policy A-6, Grant Applications, CDS is in the process of applying for a FAA AIP grant for the Project, which, if received, would fund ninety percent (90%) of the costs of the Project.
The FAA grant must be executed no later than mid-September due to the compressed time frame for the FAA to program and fund the grant by the end of the Federal Fiscal Year on September 30, 2018. In the past, the FAA has given the County as little as 24 to 36 hours to execute a grant agreement. Because all grant agreements require Board approval, and in order to enable CDS to meet the FAA’s deadline, CDS requests the Board authorize the Chief Administrative Officer or designee to execute the documents for the FAA AIP grant, currently estimated at $79,200, subject to County Counsel review and approval. A sample of a previous FAA grant agreement is attached, along with the associated Contract Routing Sheet. It is anticipated that the subject FAA Grant Agreement will be substantially the same, if not identical, to the sample FAA grant agreement.
In accordance with Board Policy A-6, Grant Applications, CDS intends to apply for a State AIP Matching Grant, which, if received, would fund five percent (5%) of the FAA AIP Grant amount. State AIP Matching Grants were not programmed in the 2018 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) as these funds have become unreliable; Accumulated Capital Outlay (ACO) funds were included instead. If CDS is awarded the State AIP Matching Grant, a portion of the ACO funds will be replaced with the State matching funds.
CDS cannot apply for the State AIP Matching Grant until the FAA AIP Grant is executed, which compresses the time frame for issuing the Notice to Proceed to start the Project. To expedite this process, CDS requests the Board authorize the Chief Administrative Officer or designee to execute the documents for the State AIP Matching Grant, currently estimated at $3,960, subject to County Counsel review and approval.
The scope of this Project is to perform clearing and grubbing and tree removal on both ends of Runway 16-34 at the Georgetown Airport for a total of approximately thirty-two (32) trees that penetrate FAR Part 77 imaginary surfaces and TSS. The County’s airport consultant will perform required services to provide the County with documents suitable for contractor solicitation. The County’s contractor will either cut and completely remove the trees from the Airport property, or “drop and lop,” which involves trees being cut, branches lopped, and everything is left in place, with nothing taller than eighteen (18) inches.
The Project is included in the CDS 2018 CIP as adopted by the Board on June 26, 2018 (Item 61), and is in accordance with the current Airport Layout Plan (ALP) for this Airport.
ALTERNATIVES
1) Do not provide grant award acceptance and approval of an FAA Grant Agreement and Terms and Conditions of Accepting AIP Grants, and do not authorize the Chief Administrative Officer or designee to execute all associated documents; and do not provide grant award acceptance and approval for a State of California, Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Division AIP Matching Grant, if successful, and do not authorize the Chief Administrative Officer or designee to execute all associated documents.
2) Cancel the Project. Note: The Board has previously approved the Project in the annual CIP Book and annual budget processes.
Should the Board choose either of these alternatives, it will result in the loss of FAA grant funds which expire at the end of the Federal Fiscal Year on September 30, 2018, and the County will be out of compliance with FAA requirements.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel will review and approve the FAA AIP Grant Agreement. If CDS is successful in obtaining State matching funds, County Counsel will review and approve the State AIP Matching Grant Agreement.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The Project is included in the adopted 2018 CIP and has an estimated cost of $88,000. Funding for the Project will be provided by an FAA AIP Grant (90%) and ACO funds (10%), unless CDS is awarded a State AIP Matching Grant, in which case a portion of the ACO funds will be replaced with the State matching funds.
CDS FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Upon award of the FAA AIP Grant, CDS will forward the Grant Agreement to County Counsel for review and approval.
2) Upon County Counsel’s approval of the FAA AIP Grant Agreement, the Chief Administrative Officer or designee will execute the Grant Agreement and CDS will send a copy to the Clerk of the Board.
3) If the State awards the State AIP Matching Grant, CDS will forward the Grant Agreement to County Counsel for review and approval.
4) Upon County Counsel’s approval of the State AIP Matching Grant Agreement, the Chief Administrative Officer or designee will execute the Grant Agreement and CDS will send a copy to the Clerk of the Board.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
The Clerk of the Board will file copies of the fully executed Grant Agreements.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Public Safety
CONTACT
Creighton Avila, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, for
Community Development Services, Administration and Finance Division