TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Scott Miller, Public Works Director / Airport Manager
SUBJECT:
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A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Red Bluff Authorizing the Public Works Director / Airport Manager and City Attorney to Execute and Submit the Grant Offer for the Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) Program
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RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
recommendation
That the City Council adopt Resolution No. 26-2026 authorizing the Public Works Director / Airport Manager and City Attorney to execute and submit the Grant Offer for Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG), Grant No. RBL-WPG-3-06-0193-022-2026 for the Red Bluff Municipal Airport.
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SUMMARY:
The City of Red Bluff submitted to the FAA the Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) grant application in the amount of $128,250 for the Red Bluff Municipal Airport Expand Apron - Design Project (Design Only) as per the approved Airport Capital Improvement Plan (ACIP). The FAA has programmed the grant funding and has provided the City with the attached Grant Offer. Please note that the offer has a submittal date of September 04, 2026, and time is of the essence.
Staff is requesting the City Council’s authorization for the Public Works Director / Airport Manager and City Attorney, as necessary, to sign all required documents for executing the grant.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION:
None
DISCUSSION:
The Red Bluff Municipal Airport operates under an FAA-approved Airport Layout Plan (ALP), which serves as a long-range planning document for future improvement projects at the airport. One such planned improvement is to expand the aircraft parking to include dedicated large-helicopter parking, south of the existing apron and north of the intersection of Taxiway C (east-west taxiway) and Taxiway A. The location was selected because large helicopters and smaller fixed-wing aircraft require additional separation due to the substantial downwash from the helicopter rotors that may cause damage or upheaval of the smaller aircraft.
The site is currently without an improved surface but is the primary parking location for emergency temporary helibase activations. Red Bluff has been consistently used as an emergency temporary helibase in support of aerial fire-fighting for California’s largest and costliest wildfires including the Park, Camp, August, and Carr fires, as well as numerous other smaller local fires. Without an improved hard-surface (concrete / asphalt), foreign objects and debris (FOD) can be blown about which may cause “brown-out” conditions effecting visibility of aircraft operations, projectiles into aircraft and personnel, injection of harmful items into engine intakes, and make a general mess of the surrounding areas without continual mitigation efforts of extensive watering of the site and sweeping operations surrounding the landing zones. Providing the separated hard-surface will mitigate the conflict between rotorcraft and fixed-wing and eliminate the FOD issue, improving safety and efficient mission operations.
Due to available and future aviation entitlement funding, the design with this Grant Offer will be the first phase of improvements to the southern half of the apron expansion. The second design phase, when more funding becomes available, will provide surface improvement to connect the proposed expansion to that of the existing apron to the north. Construction of the proposed expansion and the second-phase design will come as later projects with further additional Council action.
CITY FISCAL IMPACT:
The typical FAA/State/Local shares for AIP and AIP grants have been 90%/5%/5%, however in recent projects, FAA has authorized a 95% participation with a 5% local match required. Currently, the 5% local match will be $6,750, with a portion of that potentially being offset by contributions from the California Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division, depending on available state funds. The funding for the Red Bluff Municipal Airport Expand Apron - Design will be provided from Fund 55 Aviation-Department 55 Capital Outlay Account #55-55-760220-0080. There would be no General Fund Impact.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. RBL-WPG-3-06-0193-022-2026-Grant Agreement Offer
CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 26-2026
A RESOLUTION OF THE RED BLUFF CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZING THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR/AIRPORT MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY TO EXECUTE AND SUBMIT THE GRANT OFFER FOR THE AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT (AIG) PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the City of Red Bluff has received a Grant Offer from the US Department of Transportation: Federal Aviation Administration hereafter referred to as the FAA; and
WHEREAS, the City Council must provide proof of the authority to execute the Grant Agreement for Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) Grant Number RBL-WPG-3-06-0193-022-2026; and
WHEREAS, the City of Red Bluff agrees to abide by the terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement as set forth by the FAA.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RED BLUFF: The Public Works Director / Airport Manager (or designee) and City Attorney, are authorized on behalf of the Red Bluff City Council to submit the grant proposal for this funding and sign the Grant Agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration, including any amendment thereof.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT OR NOT VOTING:
ATTEST: ___________________________
Mayor’s Signature
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Deputy City Clerk