HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-07-1991.Airport Board Works For City Tower ContractAirport board works for city tower contract"
By Jay Eastllck
Staff Writer
CAPE GIRARDEAU — The Air-
port Advisory Board Wednesday
recommended the city continue ef-
forts to persuade the Federal Avia-
tion Administration to allow the
city to retain the Municipal Airport
control tower contract.
Ai Manager Mark Seesing
said ollowing a closed meeting of
the board that a letter will be sent
this week to FAA officials contend-
ing the city will be better able to as-
sure safer and more reliable control
cower service than would a private
Theity Council Monday ex -
i fm
ended through March 31 the con -
b -ol tower operating agreement it
has with the FAA. It was the third
time the contract has been extended
since it expired in September.
The city last year took over con-
trol of the lower following com-
plaints that the company that was
paid to ton it hadn't always pro-
vided the required number of traffic
controllers.
The city was to operate the tower
under a five-year contract with the
FAA that was renewable each ygar.
But the FAA in October refused to
renew the control tower contract
with the city, requiring instead that
bids on the service be let.
Two private contractors and the
city bid on the contract in Novem-
ber. Midwest Air Traffic Control of
Industrial Airport, Kan., submitted
the low bid.
But after bids were received, city
officials expressed dissatisfaction
with the number of hours Midwest
proposed to operate the tower.
While the city has contended it
should continue to operate the con-
trol tower, the FAA believes the
contract should be awarded to Mid-
west.
The issue likely won't be
resolved by the airport board's mo-
tion Wednesday, Seesing said. But
he said he hopes to show the FAA
that, although the city's bid isn't
the lowest, it's the best in terms of
safety and reliability of service.
In other business, the board
recommended the city approve the
Bmr plans for a project to renovate
We Municipal Airport terminal
building and draft bid specifiga-
tions.
Architect Tom Holshouser said
construction contracts for the near-
ly $1 million renovation project
could be awarded this summer.
Holshouser said costs for the pro-
ject should come in below what 116
estimated in preliminary plans. Ike
said the project could be completed
for less than $1 million.
"The way the contractors are bid-
ding lately, I think we'd get some
�re[ty good bids," Holshouser said.,
They're bidding real aggressively.
It's real competitive right now."
Public Works Director Doug Le$
lie said the renovation plans will be
considered by the City Counc4
March 18, then submitted to the
FAA for approval. ,