TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer, Public Works Director
REPORT BY: Steven Lederer, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Receive a report on an emergency project for the Napa County Airport
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve a report of emergency Public Works actions on a project to repair airport runway lighting as authorized by Resolution No. 2015-37, determine that the emergency does not permit the delay associated with competitive bidding procedures, and that the emergency actions are necessary to respond to the emergency pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 22050(c)(1) and affirm the need to continue this action. (No Fiscal Impact)
[4/5 vote required]
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BACKGROUND
Per Public Contract Code section 22050(c)(1), when expedited contracting procedures are used, the Board shall review the emergency action at its next meeting and at every regularly scheduled meeting thereafter (but not more often than every 14 days) until the action is terminated, to determine, by a four-fifths vote, that there is a need to continue the action.
Project: Airport Runway 6-24 End lighting repairs ($137,100)
A transient jet aircraft departed Runway 24 at max power, causing several large pavement pieces of the blast pad and two of the eight Runway threshold lights to dislodge into the Runway Safety Area, exposing sections of live high-voltage electrical cable, potentially fatal to people and wildlife near it. Airport Operations immediately secured the electrical circuit to the threshold lighting systems, issued proper notices to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and began to repair the blast pad area where they could.
Runway threshold lights mark the beginning of the usable runway for landing. From the opposite direction, these same lights appear red to signal the end of the runway for landed aircraft. This lighting system is required for Airports with instrument approaches and for all aircraft operating in inclement weather. Inoperable lights require FAA notice to airman of non-standard lighting and limits to Runway night operations. Threshold lights are required for safe landing on Runways during nighttime operations and result in closures in inclement weather if not operational.
Our Airfield Lighting contractor, Royal Electric, was called out to assess the system and determined there was no way to repair the edge lighting original to the 1940’s era Runway with high voltage electrical cables directly buried in the ground without conduits or safety measures. The FAA requires prompt attention to closure repairs by the Airport Sponsor, in this case Napa County, under Advisory Circulars AC 150/5345-46E and 150/5340-26C.
Airport Staff worked with our Aviation Engineering experts, Mead & Hunt, on design elements to bring Runway 24 threshold lighting system into current FAA standards. Airport staff then requested informal bid proposals from Vellutini Corporation dba: Royal Electric Co and St. Francis Electric based on the design and specifications through Mead & Hunt. Royal Electric provided a bid for $137,100 and could meet the emergent timeframes to make the system operational. St. Francis provided a quote significantly higher at $251,710.
Status: The Emergency contract with Royal Electric was signed on 10/24/25, and the contractor has commenced ordering materials to conduct the repair.
Requested Action:
Approve the above report and affirm that the project should continue under the expedited contract.
[4/5 vote required]
FISCAL IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
Approval of this action will allow this important safety project to proceed to completion in an expeditious manner. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If not approved, the project underway will be stopped until formal bidding procedures can be conducted, resulting in month’s delays in restoring this important infrastructure. |
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: General Rule. It can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the proposed action may have a significant effect on the environment and therefore CEQA is not applicable. [See Guidelines For the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act, 14 CCR 15061(b)(3)].