DEPARTMENT: Aviation
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Jesus Saenz
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Memorandum of Agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration Related to Airfield Improvement Projects at the San Antonio International Airport.
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide for services and equipment in support of Airfield Improvement projects affecting FAA facilities at San Antonio International Airport. FAA construction oversight is required when a project has a potential risk to FAA operations during construction. Additionally, the City is required to meet FAA standards in the relocation and construction of new FAA facilities when a project impacts FAA facilities. The MOA is the FAA’s instrument to allow the City to procure and pay for the FAA’s specialized staff services and project-specific equipment.
Four airfield improvement projects will require FAA construction oversight due to the known or possible impacts to FAA underground communications system or other FAA facilities during construction. Two of these projects are also required to meet the FAA standards during the relocation and reconstruction of FAA facilities.
The funding for the FAA inspection and construction oversight services and costs for relocation and reconstruction of FAA facilities have already been appropriated. Of the total estimated cost of $1,371,859.50 related to the agreement, $870,051.00 is available from previously-appropriated FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funds, $354,098.50 is available from previously-appropriated Interim Financing and Airport Improvement and Contingency Funds, and $147,710.00 is available from the FY 2020 Airport Operating and Maintenance Funds.
|
|
Estimated MOA Costs |
Funding Source |
|
Airfield Improvements Package 6 |
$1,096,999.00 |
FAA AIP Grant and Airport Interim Financing |
|
Runway Guard Lights |
$63,069.59 |
FAA AIP Grant and Airport Improvement & Contingency Funds |
|
Perimeter Road Packages 3 and 4 |
$64,081.00 |
Airport Interim Financing and Airport Improvement & Contingency Funds |
|
Connector Taxilane to Taxiway H |
$147,710.00 |
Airport Operating and Maintenance Funds |
|
Totals |
$1,371,859.00 |
|
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City is required in 49 U.S. Code Section 106(1)(6) to meet the standards of the FAA when an impact to their facilities by the airport sponsor (the City) is likely. Four airfield projects, including two that have received FAA AIP grant funding, will or may impact the FAA’s underground communications system or other facilities thus requiring the City to obtain FAA inspection and construction oversight services. The law also requires that the City mitigate impacts to FAA services, up to and including the relocation and construction of new facilities to FAA standards when the FAA’s facilities are impacted. The proposed MOA outlines the responsibilities of both parties during the construction phases of the four projects described below.
Airfield Improvements Package 6: As part of this project, the City will impact the FAA’s underground communication cable loop system. The scope of the project will include upgrading or improving segments of the loop system by replacing copper cabling with fiber optics. This work will serve as the inaugural fiber install project for the FAA. The City worked with the FAA to include the cost of this work into the AIP grant submittal and was authorized by City Council through Ordinance 2019-06-20-0543 on June 20, 2019. Therefore, MOA funding for this work is already allocated in the approved project budget.
Runway Guard Lights: FAA facilities may be impacted during the installation of 14 pairs of elevated runway guard lights and two sets of in-pavement runway guard lights at multiple taxiway and runway intersections at the airport. Therefore, FAA inspection and construction inspection services will be required. As with Airfield Improvements Package 6, funding for this work was included in the submittal of the FAA AIP grant authorized by City Council through Ordinance 2019-08-08-0594 on August 8, 2019.
Perimeter Road Packages 3 and 4: This project will reconstruct sections of the Air Operations Area perimeter road which are in poor condition. The Perimeter Road encompasses the airfield to provide vehicle access for tenants, law enforcement/airport rescue and firefighting, Aviation Division staff and others to areas around the campus. As with the Runway Guard Lights project, it is possible that FAA facilities may be impacted and the FAA inspection and construction inspection services will be required. This project is funded by Interim Financing and Airport Improvement and Contingency Funds. The construction contract award is anticipated to be considered by City Council in March 2020. This MOA cost is included in the project budget approved in the Aviation Capitol Projects Budget in September 2019.
Connector Taxilane to Taxiway H: As part of the development of the Western Hangars, the leasehold’s connector taxilane to Taxiway H will impact FAA facilities and will need to relocate those facilities. FAA construction inspection will be required during the relocation of those facilities. The FY 2020 Aviation Operating and Maintenance Fund will fund these services and are budgeted.
ISSUE:
The City is required to follow 49 U.S. Code Section 106(1)(6) to utilize FAA inspection and construction oversight services when it is possible that FAA facilities may be impacted, and to meet FAA standards when those facilities are impacted in order to ensure FAA operations are not impaired. The proposed MOA outlines the responsibilities of both parties during the construction phase of four airfield projects that will or may impact FAA facilities, and provides for payment of FAA specialized staff services and project-specific equipment.
ALTERNATIVES:
U.S. federal law requires that entities that impact the facilities owned and operated by the FAA must meet the federal agency’s standards during the relocation of those facilities. The MOA outlines the responsibilities of both parties so that construction can begin on the four airfield projects.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding in the amount of $1,224,149 is available and included in the FY 2020 - FY 2025 Capital Improvement Program and $147,710.00 is included in the FY 2020 Airport Operating and Maintenance Budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of the Memorandum of Agreement with the FAA associated with four airfield projects at the San Antonio International Airport.