TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Scott Miller, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
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Award Professional Airport Services Contract, 2026
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RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
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Award the Professional Airport Consultant (Architectural and Design/Engineering) Services Agreement to LJA Engineering, Inc. and authorize the Public Works Director and Airport Manager to sign said Agreement for a duration of three (3) years with a City option of up to two (2) additional one-year extensions.
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SUMMARY:
As a condition of the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) eligibility (federal grant funding), all airport sponsors must have under contract an airport consultant which has been selected through a Qualifications Based process outlined in FAA’s Advisory Circular 150/5100-14E. Public Works advertised an RFQ and received two timely Statement(s) of Qualifications. The selection committee independently reviewed the two SOQ’s and ranked them in order of responsiveness per the advertised Evaluation Methodology. The order of committee ranking is as follows;
1. LJA Engineering, Inc.
2. Lochner, Egis Group, Inc.
Staff requests Council Action to select an Airport Consultant for regulatory compliance and to assist staff with FAA’s recently released accelerated timelines for grant funding applications. The selection committee recommends contracting with LJA Engineering, Inc.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION:
On December 16, 2025 Council approved the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Airport Consultant Services and authorized staff to advertise the RFQ.
On February 4, 2020 Council authorized the award of the Professional Airport Consultant (Architectural and Design/Engineering) Services Agreement to Armstrong Consultants, Inc. (now Lochner) and authorized the City Manager to sign said Agreement for a duration of three (3) years with a city option of up to two (2) additional one-year extensions.
On December 17, 2019 Council approved the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Airport Consultant Services and authorized staff to advertise the RFQ.
DISCUSSION:
The Federal Aviation Administration requires airport sponsors that are federally obligated (receiving grant funding) to select and engage qualified architectural, engineering, and planning consultants for all AIP eligible projects. These consultants assist airport sponsors with proposed planning, environmental, design, and construction projects that may be submitted for federal funding. The FAA recommends the use of a single consultant to provide multiple-project services under a Master Agreement (as outlined in the five-year ACIP) rather than repeating a selection process for each potential project.
As a condition of the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) eligibility (federal grant funding), all airport sponsors must have an airport consultant under contract who has been selected through a process outlined in FAA’s Advisory Circular 150/5100-14E. Consultants are selected through a Qualifications Based Selection process and are retained under a Master Agreement not to exceed five years. Separate consultant solicitations shall be made for Planning Projects and for Development Projects. As the short-term projects currently presented by the City are development based, this RFQ is for Architectural, Engineering, and Design Services (A/E) only. Should a Planning Project be required, staff will return to Council requesting approval to advertise for a separate RFQ
CITY FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact at this time. Consulting service fees are to be negotiated as Task Order based fees for projects funded under the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The proposed service fees are then submitted for an Independent Fee Estimate. by a third party and are partially reimbursable through the grant process. Federal funding of individual City sponsored AIP projects provide 90-95% of total project costs with the balance obligated by City and State funds. Potential Red Bluff Municipal Airport projects are reviewed by the Airport Commission, proposed to the City Council Budget Committee, and if recommended, presented to City Council for Budget approval.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. LJA Engineering, Inc. SOQ
2. Lochner, Egis Group, Inc. SOQ