TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer, Director of Public Works
REPORT BY: Katherine Bales, Assistant Airport Manager
SUBJECT: Approve Capital Improvement Project for Runway 6-24 End Lighting Replacement, PW 26-14 at the Napa County Airport, and an associated budget amendment.
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve and authorize the creation of Capital Improvement Project 26016, "Runway 24 End Lighting Replacement Project" PW 26-14 and an associated Budget Amendment for the emergency replacement of Runway 24 end threshold lighting. (Fiscal Impact $150,100 Expense; Airport Fund; Not Budgeted; Discretionary)
[4/5 vote required]
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BACKGROUND
On July 10, 2025, a transient Jet aircraft departed the Napa County Airport from Runway 24 at max power and caused several large pavement pieces of the blast pad and two of the eight Runway 24 end threshold lights to dislodge into the Runway Safety Area. This exposed sections of live high-voltage electrical cable, potentially fatal to people and wildlife near it. Airport Operations staff immediately secured the electrical circuit to the end threshold lighting system, issued proper notices to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and began to repair the blast pad area where feasible. The end threshold lighting of a runway identifies the edge of pavement for aircraft landing from both directions on the runway and is required for safe landing during nighttime and inclement weather operations. Inoperable lights require FAA notice of non-standard to pilots and results in limits to nighttime and inclement weather operations, leading to unsafe airfield conditions.
On or about July 11, 2025, the Airport's airfield lighting contractor was called to assess the damage and propose repairs. After assessment, the lighting contractor determined there was no way to repair the existing system as the end threshold lighting is original to the 1940's era runway, with high voltage electrical cables directly buried in the ground without ...
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