AIRPORT BOARD WORKS FOR CITY TOWER CONTRACT

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Airport Advisory Board Wednesday recommended the city continue efforts to persuade the Federal Aviation Administration to allow the city to retain the Municipal Airport control tower contract.

Airport Manager Mark Seesing said following a closed meeting of the board that a letter will be sent this week to FAA officials contending the city will be better able to assure safer and more reliable control tower service than would a private company.

The City Council Monday extended through March 31 the control 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 control of the tower following complaints that the company that was paid to run it hadn't always provided 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 year. 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 November. 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 control tower, the FAA believes the contract should be awarded to Midwest.

The issue likely won't be resolved by the airport board's action 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 floor plans for a project to renovate the Municipal Airport terminal building and draft bid specifications.

Architect Tom Holshouser said construction contracts for the nearly $1 million renovation project could be awarded this summer.

Holshouser said costs for the project should come in below what he estimated in preliminary plans. He said the project could be completed for less than $1 million.

"The way the contractors are bidding lately, I think we'd get some pretty good bids," Holshouser said. "They're bidding real aggressively. It's real competitive right now."

Public Works Director Doug Leslie said the renovation plans will be considered by the City Council March 18, then submitted to the FAA for approval.