REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
February 10, 2026
FROM
BRETT J. GODOWN, Director, Department of Airports
SUBJECT
Title
Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program Grant and California Department of Transportation Airport Improvement Program Matching Grant for Twentynine Palms Airport Runway and Taxiway Safety Area Drainage Improvements Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Authorize the Director of the Department of Airports to execute and electronically submit Federal Aviation Administration standard forms of pre-application, application, award agreement, and non-substantive documents for a Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program Grant for the Twentynine Palms Airport Runway and Taxiway Safety Area Drainage Improvements Project, in the amount of $3,045,700, subject to County Counsel review.
2. Adopt Resolution, as required by the California Department of Transportation, authorizing the Director of the Department of Airports to execute and electronically submit California Department of Transportation standard forms of application, award agreements, and non-substantive documents for a California Department of Transportation Airport Improvement Matching Grant for the Twentynine Palms Airport Runway and Taxiway Safety Area Drainage Improvements Project, in the amount of $152,285, subject to County Counsel review.
3. Direct the Director of the Department of Airports to submit a report to the Board of Supervisors that includes the awarded grants executed by the Director of the Department of Airports pursuant to Recommendation Nos. 1 and 2 for the period ending September 30, 2026.
(Presenter: Brett J. Godown, Director, 387-8810)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not require the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). There is no cost associated with granting authority to the Director of the Department of Airports (Airports) to apply for and execute grant agreements with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the Twentynine Palms Airport Runway and Taxiway Safety Area Drainage Improvements Project (Project). If grants are awarded from both the FAA and Caltrans, Airports will receive $3,045,700 of federal funds and $152,285 of state funds for the Project.
Proposed project budget is described in the table below:
|
Funding Source |
Percentage |
Amount |
|
Federal Aviation Administration AIP |
95% |
$3,045,700 |
|
Caltrans State AIP Matching |
5% of AIP |
$152,285 |
|
Local - Department of Airports |
|
$8,015 |
|
|
Project total |
$3,206,000 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On December 16, 2025 (Item No.132) the Board of Supervisors (Board), acting on behalf of San Bernardino County (County) and County Service Area 60 - Apple Valley Airport, received a list of anticipated Airport Capital Improvement Projects for Chino, Twentynine Palms, Barstow-Daggett, and Apple Valley Airports. The Board also authorized the Director of the Department to execute and submit FAA standard forms of pre-applications, applications, fund transfer requests, and award agreements for Airport Capital Improvement Projects (ACIP) through the period from December 16, 2025 through December 15, 2026, in an amount, per project, not to exceed the total anticipated funding from the FAA as set forth in the ACIP list plus a 15% contingency. The Director’s authority did not include applying for or executing any Caltrans matching grants.
The Project was listed in the ACIP for Twentynine Palms Airport (TNP) as Project 26-1 with a total estimated cost of $1,000,000 with anticipated funding as follows: $950,000 by a FAA grant, $47,500 by a Caltrans matching grant, and $2,500 by the Department. Following the submission of the ACIP, the Project has been revised to encompass drainage improvements to both runways at TNP with a revised total cost estimate of $3,206,000 with anticipated funding as follows: $3,045,700 by a FAA grant, $152,285 by a Caltrans matching grant, and $8,015 by the Department.
The Department seeks to expand the Project to included additional areas due to the increased grant funding opportunity from the FAA. The authority granted to the Director of the Department to apply for and execute award agreements for FAA grants is limited to the total anticipated amount of FAA grant funding set forth in the ACIP list received by the Board plus a 15% contingency. Given that the anticipated FAA grant funding has been revised to $3,045,700, which exceeds 15% of the amount set forth in the ACIP list received by the Board, this item seeks authority for the Director of the Department to apply for and execute Federal Aviation Administration standard forms of pre-application, application, award agreement, and non-substantive documents a FAA grant for the Project in the amount of $3,045,700.
Subject to the County’s receipt of an FAA grant, the Department may apply for a Caltrans matching grant in the amount of 5% of the FAA award. Despite County Policy 05-13 requiring grant awards to come back to the Board for acceptance, Caltrans requires a resolution that allows an authorized representative to apply for and accept the awards per California Code of Regulations Title 21 section 4067. The resolution must identify not just the title of the authorized signer but also the name of that person. Caltrans will not accept grant applications unless authority is delegated to apply for, accept awards, and execute grant documents to receive matching grant funding. The awarded grants executed by the Director of the Department of Airports will be included in the same report to the Board for FAA grants awarded pursuant to the authority granted on December 16, 2025 (Item No. 132).
Approval of item will delegate authority to the Department Director to apply for and execute a grant agreement with the FAA for the Project in the amount of $3,045,700 and adopt a resolution to allow the Director of the Department, subject to receipt of the FAA grant, to apply for and execute a matching grant agreement with Caltrans for the Project in the amount of $152,285.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Airports (Maureen Snelgrove, Assistant Director, 387-8810) on January 16, 2026; County Counsel (Agnes Cheng, Deputy County Counsel, 387-4271) on January 22, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Eduardo Mora, Administrative Analyst, 387-4376) on January 27, 2026.