By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
City council members on Tuesday approved a resolution to authorize bidding for contracts for electrical work at the Del Rio International Airport.
Based on an informational agenda provided to the council members, the resolution would authorize Interim City Manager Manuel Chavez to advertise and give notice of a request for bids for electrical improvements at the local airport.
Councilman J.P. Sanchez made the motion to approve the resolution, and Councilwoman Ernestina “Tina” Martinez gave the second.
The informational handout provided to the council notes the 2021 Airport Master Plan identified some short-term projects for the airport required to comply with federal aviation regulations to be addressed and discussed.
Three of these projects will make electrical improvements to the property and will include relocation of the facility’s rotating beacon, replacements for runway end identifier lights (REIL) and the relocation of precision approach path indicator light (PAPI) power boxes.
Also mentioned in the agenda, the city was awarded an Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant in August 2023, which will aid in the design phase of electrical improvement projects at the airport.
The city has funding available for the airport through the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Airport Improvement Program, and the project also qualifies for federal funding. 90 percent of the federal funding share will come from the FAA, and the other 10 percent will be from the city.
Del Rio Airport Manager Juan Onofre stepped to the podium at the council meeting to answer questions about the project from the council. Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. asked for details about the projects.
Lopez asked, “Are these the same air conditioners that were supposed to be repaired, or are they the same ones have not been repaired?”
“No, it is a rotating beacon, runway end identifier lights, and some electrical PAPI lights,” Onofre said.
The council unanimously approved the resolution without further questions and moved on to the next topic.
