Fresno Yosemite International Airport — Photo: RuthAS — CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
City Council Locks In $2.9M for Airport Expansion Environmental Work
Fresno City Council approved $2,865,700 in April 2019 to fund preliminary environmental studies and related costs for the FATforward expansion program at Fresno Yosemite International Airport. The resolution passed with the required five affirmative votes.
The appropriation covers National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation, financing expenses, preliminary project designs, and project delivery evaluations. Council simultaneously authorized a $324,637 consulting agreement with Coffman Associates, Inc. to prepare the environmental documentation.
According to the staff report from then-Director of Aviation Kevin R. Meikle, initiating the environmental studies was “necessary to keep project timelines on track” and represented a condition to execute State of California Infrastructure Bank (IBank) financing for the airport’s planned parking garage.
The Breakdown
- Total appropriation: $2,865,700 for preliminary FATforward program costs
- Environmental consulting contract: $324,637 to Coffman Associates, Inc. for NEPA and CEQA documentation
- Funding scope: Environmental studies, financing expenses, preliminary designs, and project delivery evaluations
- Approval requirement: Five affirmative City Council votes (met), subject to mayoral veto
What This Means for You
This Council vote committed public dollars to advance the airport expansion timeline. The staff report indicated the environmental studies were a condition to execute State of California Infrastructure Bank financing for the airport’s planned parking garage.
What to Watch
The material states this spending was “necessary” to meet IBank financing conditions. The environmental documentation will be prepared by Coffman Associates, Inc. under the authorized consulting agreement, as part of the preliminary work for the FATforward expansion program.
