Illinois Valley News

Josephine County may be in jeopardy of losing federal grant funds previously allocated for improvements at Illinois Valley Airport, located just outside of Cave Junction.

In a Dec. 31, 2009 letter to Airports Director Alex Grossi and the county commissioners, an official with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chided the county for delays in erecting a perimeter fence around the airport.

The letter was written by Dave Roberts, a civil engineer with FAA“s Northwest Mountain Region Seattle Airports District Office (ADO) in Renton, Wash.

“We are becoming concerned with Josephine County“s ability to perform “ grant projects at Illinois Valley airport on a timely basis,“ Roberts wrote.

A grant was issued to the county in May 2007 to provide funding for a revised airport property map. According to Roberts, his office has “not received even a draft version “ and there has been no requests for reimbursement since February 2009.“

Roberts wrote that the county still has more than $13,000 in unspent grant funds for that particular project.

“If we don“t receive at least a draft copy “ within two months, we will begin the grant close-out and recovery of any funds“ spent on preparing the property map, he wrote.

Grant officers require that the map be on file with ADO, Roberts wrote. Because of that, “we will no longer be able to offer Josephine County grants for the Illinois Valley airport until an Exhibit A is submitted,“ Roberts wrote.

Another grant was offered and accepted by the county in June 2008. That grant was for work on a master plan update for the airport, and included an allocation of $47,500 for the perimeter fence and gates.

“As of June 2009, approximately $31,500 has been requested for reimbursement,“ Roberts wrote. “All we have received is a partial draft copy of the plans and specifications along with a number of questions on fence design by the airport advisory.“

Roberts wrote that another grant, for $216,273, was issued to the county to begin construction of the fence last February. ADO was forced to offer the grant prior to the opening of the construction bid, he added. However, a condition of the grant called for the opening of bids by Aug. 15, 2009.

“This grant was offered prior to completion of plans and specifications as well as bid openings with the understanding that the project would be bid during the summer with further funds offered when they become available,“ Roberts wrote.

Grossi brought the issue to the commissioners and members of the airport advisory board in a Tuesday, Feb. 2 e-mail.

“As you can see from the FAA“s letter, this project is in need of completion and further delay could jeopardize these funds, as well as future FAA grant offers,“ Grossi wrote. “We will be working toward meeting this goal and maintaining our good standing with the FAA.“

In a Wednesday, Feb. 3 e-mail to Illinois Valley News, Grossi said that the commissioners will move forward with plans for the fence.

“After some long delays due to serious illness and departure of the primary engineer on the fence project, and after a second look at the design of the fence by the airport advisory board, the board of commissioners has determined that (it) will continue to support the perimeter fence project as it was originally planned,“ Grossi wrote.

Roberts established firm deadlines for the county to achieve compliance with the grant requirements in his Dec. 31 letter.

“We understand the county“s problems with its consultant performing the work, but this project needs to be at least physically started this summer,“ Roberts wrote. “To get this project moving, we would appreciate a draft set of plans and specifications within a month and advertisement of the project for construction within one month after receipt of our comments.

“Failure to produce this project documentation will require us to consider withholding future grant 3 payments until the previously paid fence consultant fees have been recovered.“

Roberts also warned of consequences for failure to meet those deadlines.

“To date, no reimbursement of grant 4 funds has been requested and the project has not been bid,“ Roberts wrote. ““ If we do not receive the draft plans and specifications within the time limit “ we will close the grant and recover the funds.“

Grossi said in his Feb. 3 e-mail that the county plans to comply with FAA“s requirements.

“Josephine County has an obligation to the airport tenants, pilots and community to provide a safe and secure environment at the airports as our limited funds will permit,“ Grossi wrote. “This project would be paid for with FAA grant funds.“

Commissioner Sandi Cassanelli, who serves as airport liaison, said that the fence plan will be modified by the same engineering firm preparing the airport layout plan.

The plan will be modified to address concerns that two tenants had expressed about access to their hangars, Cassanelli said, and will be sent to FAA “in a timely manner.“

Cassanelli said that the project will be sent to bid, and that work likely will begin this spring.

We want to hear from you!
Add your thoughts with the link below.

Comments returning soon!

Back to top of story