The Federal Aviation Administration is going to pick up ninety percent of the estimated $4.349 million cost of upgrades at Chino Airport.
According to James Jenkins, San Bernardino County’s director of airports, the county is intent on making repairs and rehabilitation to Chino Airport’s northwest apron and its taxi-lanes, along with fixing what he calls “hot spots” there.
An airport apron is the area of an airport where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled, or boarded.
A taxiway is a path for aircraft at an airport connecting runways with aprons, hangars, terminals and other facilities.
A hot spot is defined as a location on an airport movement area with a history of potential risk of collision or runway incursion, and where heightened attention by pilots and drivers is necessary.
In a report dated September 13, Jenkins told the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, “The construction improvements to Chino Airport’s northwest apron, hot spots and taxi-lanes rehabilitation project will repair surface deformations and deficiencies including oxidation/weathering, longitudinal/transverse cracking, depressions, and rutting. Pavement rehabilitation methods may include treatments such as slurry sealing or milling existing surfaces and applying a new asphalt overlay. The use of FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] and state grant funding to assist the department of airports with the project allows the department to operate in a fiscally-responsible and business-like manner and provides for the safety, health and social service needs of county residents.”
It is likely county taxpayers will pay for less than six percent of the project, Jenkins told the board.
“On January 28, 2016 the department of airports received authorization from the county’s chief executive officer to submit a grant application to the FAA for the project,” Jenkins said. “The FAA notified the department of the grant award on August 26, 2016. The recommended submission of an application for a state matching grant of up to 5 percent of the FAA grant award from the California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (Caltrans Aeronautics), subject to fund availability, would provide additional funding for the project. Caltrans Aeronautics requires a resolution be adopted by the board of supervisors documenting the individuals authorized to file the applications for funding; accept the allocation of funds for the project; execute the grant agreement; and naming the person authorized to sign any documents required to apply for and accept the funds on behalf of the county. Per county policy, the department will return to the board for authorization to execute the grant agreement and to accept the grant funds should the state matching grant application be successful.”
Jenkins said, “The total estimated cost of this project is $4,349,000. With approval of this item, 90 percent of the project costs ($3,914,100) will be covered by the FAA grant award and the anticipated state matching grant will further offset the county’s costs by 4.5 percent ($195,705). The county will be responsible for the remaining costs of $239,195, or 5.5 percent of the total costs associated with the completion of this project.”
The board approved accepting the federal grant and seeking the state grant.