HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Council Action Form dated September 14, 2026ITEM #:2
DATE:09-14-26
DEPT:PW
SUBJECT:2026/27 AIRPORT AIRSIDE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT
(RECONSTRUCTION OF RUNWAY 01/19)
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
On July 14, 2026, the City Council approved final plans and specifications and conditionally
awarded the 2026/27 Airport Airside Improvements Project (Reconstruction of Runway 01/19)
to Flynn Company, Inc., of Dubuque, Iowa, in the amount of $19,118,791. The award was
contingent upon Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) concurrence and receipt of the
Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funding necessary to finance the project.
Staff had anticipated that all potential funding for the project would not be able to be secured
in a single grant. Instead, two federal construction grants would be necessary to complete the
runway reconstruction. Therefore, the project specifications include points at which notice-to-
proceed from the City must be provided to the contractor before further work can be
completed. This approach reduces the risk to the City that work is completed which cannot be
reimbursed by federal funds and must instead be funded locally.
The FAA has now offered the City the first of two anticipated federal construction
g r a n t s , AIP Grant No. 3-19-0004-036 in the amount of $7,810,900. This grant amount
represents 95% of the $8,222,000 in eligible project costs assigned to Grant 036. The required
5% local match for Grant 036 is $411,100. Acceptance of this grant will provide funding for the
work authorized under the first Notice to Proceed (NTP No. 1).
NTP No. 1 includes work that is structured to keep the Airport's runway surfaces open
for operations. Work associated with the remainder of the project will not begin until
the City receives and accepts the second anticipated FAA grant and issues NTP No. 2.
The second grant is anticipated to be awarded in April 2027. During NTP No. 2, the
Airport's runway surfaces will be closed for a several-month period.
It is important to note that although the grant agreement was finalized and provided to
the City on on September 11, the FAA requires that the City provide the required
signatures for this initial $7,810,900 grant no later than September 16. A failure to do so
forfeits the grant award.
The FAA's budget establishes a total eligible construction-phase project cost of $22,410,000,
consisting of $20,580,100 in federal funds and $1,829,900 in required local match. Including
the previously approved design phase, the total required local match is $1,889,905. The
City has identified $2,327,500 in local funding, which is sufficient to provide the required match
and leaves $437,595 available in local funding above the current anticipated project expenses.
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The revised project revenues and expenses are shown below:
Fiscal
Year
Revised Available
Revenues Amount Revised Anticipated Expenses Amount
Design Phase Design Phase
2024/25 Federal Grant -
Design (95%)$1,140,095 PSA - Design $1,196,600
2024/25
Airport
Improvements
Fund
$130,000 Design Independent Fee
Evaluation (IFE)$3,500
Construction Phase Construction Phase - FAA Grants 036/037
2025/26
Federal Grant 036
(95%) THIS
COUNCIL
ACTION
$7,810,900 Administration/Legal/Advertisement $6,209
2026/27 Federal Grant 037
(90%) (revised)$12,769,200 AGIS Design $110,000
2024/25
Airport
Improvements
Fund
(Reprogrammed)
$25,000 End Fire Glideslope Design $75,000
2025/26 G.O. Bonds $531,750 Construction Services $2,378,000
2026/27 G.O. Bonds $623,250 AGIS As-Built $95,000
2026/27 G.O. Bonds
(previously issued)$975,000 As-Built Airport Layout Plan (ALP)$40,000
2026/27
Airport
Improvements
Fund
$42,500 Grant Closeout $27,000
Construction Contract - Runway
01/19 $19,118,791
IFE - AGIS and Construction
Services $10,000
Glide Slope Refurbishment Kits $340,000
Flight Checks $210,000
Revised Total
Revenue $24,047,695 Revised Total Expense $23,610,100
Remaining Available Local Revenue after Anticipated Expenses $437,595
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ALTERNATIVES:
1. Approve a resolution accepting FAA AIP Grant No. 3-19-0004-036 in the amount of
$7,810,900 for the 2026/27 Airport Airside Improvements Project (Reconstruction of
Runway 01/19) and authorize the Mayor to execute the Grant Agreement on behalf of
the City.
2. Do not accept the grant offer and direct staff to pursue modifications to the project or an
alternative funding approach.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Acceptance of this first FAA grant will provide the federal funding necessary to proceed
with NTP No. 1 while keeping the Airport's runway surfaces open for operations. The
remaining work, which includes a closure of the runway surfaces, will be held until the
second anticipated grant is received and accepted by the City Council. Therefore, it is
the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, as
noted above.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Award CAF 7_14_2026
AMW-CEG-3-19-0004-036-2026-Grant Agreement - unsidned
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ITEM #:55
DATE:07-14-26
DEPT:PW
SUBJECT:2026/27 AIRPORT AIRSIDE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT
(RECONSTRUCTION OF RUNWAY 01/19)
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
The Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) includes the Airport Airside Improvements program,
which provides for the reconstruction of Runway 01/19 and associated airfield improvements
at the James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport. The project includes full
reconstruction of Runway 01/19 and associated airfield improvements, including
portions of taxiways, lighting, drainage, grading, signage, and pavement markings
necessary to maintain FAA design standards and long-term operational functionality.
The base bid is for the Runway 01/19 reconstruction and associated airfield
improvements. Bid Alternate A involves the reconstruction of the navigational aid
building that is located at the south end of Runway 01/19.
Bids were received on June 30, 2026. Seven bids were received, and all bidders were
determined to be responsive. The bid results are summarized below:
Bidder Base Bid
Bid Alternate
A
(Reconstruct
Nav. Aid
Bldg)
Total
Engineer’s Estimate $24,178,537.50 $232,500.00 $24,411,037.50
Flynn Company, Inc. (Dubuque, IA)$18,993,597.00 $125,194.00 $19,118,791.00
Elder Corporation (Des Moines, IA)$19,026,017.30 $132,200.00 $19,158,217.30
Manatts, Inc. (Brooklyn, IA)$19,378,607.00 $125,194.00 $19,503,801.00
Reilly Construction Co., Inc. (Ossian, IA)$20,149,349.50 $115,585.00 $20,264,934.50
Concrete Technologies Inc. (Grimes, IA)$20,360,415.80 $117,326.15 $20,477,741.95
Boomerang Corporation (Anamosa, IA)$23,001,215.00 $115,585.00 $23,116,800.00
Hawkins Construction Company (Omaha,
NE)$26,035,271.50 $131,850.00 $26,167,121.50
Flynn Company, Inc., of Dubuque, Iowa, submitted the apparent low responsive, responsible
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bid for the Base Bid and Bid Alternate A, in the amount of $19,118,791. Bolton & Menk, Inc.
has reviewed the submitted bid documents, checked references for the bidder, and is
recommending award to Flynn Company, Inc.
Because this project is anticipated to be funded primarily through FAA Airport
Improvement Program (AIP) grants, award of the contract should be conditioned upon
FAA concurrence and receipt of the federal grant funding necessary to finance the
project. The City intends to submit a grant application for the full construction cost of the
project, including both the Base Bid and Bid Alternate A, in an effort to maximize the amount of
federal funding that may be awarded in 2026. As previously reported to City Council, the FAA
is expected to fund the project through two separate grant awards. Any eligible project costs
not funded through the initial grant, anticipated in fall 2026, are expected to be included in a
second grant award in early 2027.
The Table 1 below demonstrates the overall project budget that was presented to City Council
on June 9, 2026 during the approval of the plans and specifications. This budget table
represents the project budget before bidding results were received.
Table 1
Fiscal
Year
Available Revenues
Pre Bid Amount Anticipated Expenses Pre Bid Amount
Design Phase Design Phase
2024/25 Federal Grant -
Design (95/5)$1,140,095 PSA Design $1,196,000
2024/25 Airport Improvements
Fund $130,000 Design Independent Fee
Evaluation (IFE)$3,500
Construction Phase Construction Phase
2025/26
Federal Grant -
Construction (95/5)
(estimated)
$10,450,000 Construction Independent Fee
Evaluation (IFE)$7,000
2026/27
Federal Grant -
Construction (90/10)
(estimated)
$15,282,000 PSA Amendment 1: AGIS
Design Survey $120,000
2024/25
Airport Improvements
Fund
(Reprogrammed)
$25,000 PSA Amendment 2:
Construction Admin $2,500,000
2025/26 G.O. Bonds $531,750 PSA Amendment 3: Glide Slope
Coordination
$150,000
2026/27 G.O. Bonds $623,250 Construction: Base Bid
(estimated)$24,182,500
2026/27 G.O. Bonds
(previously issued)$975,000 Construction: Bid Alternate A
(estimated)$232,500
2026/27 Airport Improvements
Fund $42,500 Work By FAA on Navaids
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Glide Slope - Watts Antenna -
Refurbishment Kits, Assistance
and Setup
$320,000
FAA RA - End Fire Glide Slope
Design Review $100,000
FAA RA - End Fire Glide Slope
Construction Observation and
Support
$200,000
FAA Flight Check for Visual
Navaids $50,000
FAA Flight Check for Electronic
Navaids - End Fire Glideslope,
Localizer, MALSR
$120,000
Total Revenue Pre
Bid $29,199,595 Total Expense Pre Bid $29,179,500
The Table 2 below has been revised to reflect the results of receiving bids for the
project. The table conservatively allocates anticipated grant revenues between fiscal years in
2025/26 and 2026/27 based on the anticipated timing of those grant awards while recognizing
that the actual distribution of grant funding between fiscal years will be determined by the
FAA.
Table 2
Fiscal
Year
Revised Available
Revenues Post Bid Amount Revised Anticipated Expenses
Post Bid Amount
Design Phase Design Phase
2024/25 Federal Grant -
Design (95/5)$1,140,095 PSA Design $1,196,000
2024/25 Airport Improvements
Fund $130,000 Design Independent Fee
Evaluation (IFE)$3,500
Construction Phase Construction Phase
2025/26
Federal Grant -
Construction (95/5)
(estimated)
$10,450,000 Construction Independent Fee
Evaluation (IFE)$7,000
2026/27
Federal Grant -
Construction (90/10)
(estimated)
$10,517,212 PSA Amendment 1: AGIS
Design Survey $120,000
2024/25
Airport Improvements
Fund
(Reprogrammed)
$25,000 PSA Amendment 2:
Construction Admin $2,500,000
2025/26 G.O. Bonds $531,750 PSA Amendment 3: Glide Slope
Coordination $150,000
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2026/27 G.O. Bonds $623,250 Construction: Base Bid (This
Council Action)$18,993,597
2026/27 G.O. Bonds
(previously issued)$975,000 Construction: Bid Alternate A
(This Council Action)$125,194
2026/27 Airport Improvements
Fund $42,500 Work By FAA on Navaids
Glide Slope - Watts Antenna -
Refurbishment Kits, Assistance
and Setup
$320,000
FAA RA - End Fire Glide Slope
Design Review $100,000
FAA RA - End Fire Glide Slope
Construction Observation and
Support
$200,000
FAA Flight Check for Visual
Navaids $50,000
FAA Flight Check for Electronic
Navaids - End Fire Glideslope,
Localizer, MALSR
$120,000
Revised Total
Revenue Post Bid $24,434,807 Revised Total Expense Post
Bid $23,885,291
The inclusion of the Pre Bid and Post Bid budget tables is to highlighted that while the
bid results reflect a project savings of $5,292,246.50 for the combination of the base bid
and bid alternate A, the majority of the project savings will be experienced by the FAA
due to the federal grant funding. Ninety percent (90%) of the savings from the bid
results will be realized by the FAA in their grant award to the City of Ames. The local
match of the grant (10%) or $529,224.65, is the savings that the City of Ames will realize
in G.O. Bonds based off the bid results.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. The City Council may:
a. Approve final plans and specifications for the 2026/27 Airport Airside
Improvements Project (Reconstruction of Runway 01/19).
b. Award the 2026/27 Airport Airside Improvements Project (Reconstruction of
Runway 01/19) to Flynn Company, Inc., of Dubuque, Iowa, in the amount of
$19,118,791, contingent upon FAA concurrence and receipt of the necessary
Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funding.
c. Approve submission of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport
Improvement Program (AIP) grant application requesting federal funding for the full
2026/27 Airport Airside Improvements Project (Reconstruction of Runway 01/19),
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including the Base Bid and Bid Alternate A.
2. Reject the bids and direct staff to modify the project and rebid at a future date.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The reconstruction of Runway 01/19 is necessary to maintain the long-term safety, operational
reliability, and functionality of the Ames Municipal Airport. The project will replace deteriorated
pavement infrastructure, improve associated airfield systems, and maintain compliance with
applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) design standards while positioning the
Airport to continue serving existing and future aviation needs.
Flynn Company, Inc., submitted the apparent low responsive, responsible bid, and
Bolton & Menk, Inc., recommends award of the contract contingent upon FAA
concurrence and receipt of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funding
necessary to finance the project. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager
that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, as noted above.
In anticipation of construction impacts to the John Deere lease area, the City's Legal
Department has prepared a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a framework
for coordination between the City and Deere regarding temporary use of leased property
during construction. The MOU is intended to be executed administratively and provides for a
future lease amendment once the contractor has established a detailed construction schedule
and defined the specific areas of the lease required for staging, access, or construction
a c ti v i ti e s . At that time, Public Works staff will return to the City Council with a
construction-related lease amendment for approval.
Following the award of contract, staff will work with the contractor, design consultant, fixed-
base operator, and Airport users to coordinate the schedule of construction activities and
ensure the project impacts are appropriately communicated to all affected parties.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Engineers Letter of Recommendation
Overview Map
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