The City of Soldotna last week voted to increase estimated revenues and appropriations in the airport fund for a grant provided by the Federal Aviation Administration under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act for the Soldotna Municipal Airport.
In speaking to the Soldotna City Council recently, Airport Manager Kyle Kornelis said, “This ordinance will authorize the City Manager to enter into a grant agreement and it also will appropriate $13,000 in the airport fund to be used towards a broad swath of eligible expenses, including payroll, utility service contracts and items generally having a limited useful life. These grant funds total $13,000 and are provided by the FAA under their airport coronavirus response grant program. This was the second round of coronavirus related funding that came through the FAA and was distributed to all eligible airports. Through the allocation method, the city of Soldotna’s portion was $13,000. We recently did this with the first round of funding, which was, I believe around $30,000. This is the second and, as far as I know, the final round of the airport funding through coronavirus federal appropriations.”
The grants were available at a 100% federal share with no local match contribution required. The FAA will reimburse sponsors for operational expenses directly related to the airport incurred on or after January 20, 2020.
Vice Mayor Lisa Parker, “I do want to thank FAA once again for providing us with these funds.”
The city council originally voted to appropriate $30,000 to the airport on May 27th, 2020 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in funds to be awarded. Under the CARES act, $10 billion was set aside for eligible airports. The operational expenses are recognized as those necessary to operate, maintain, and manage the airport.
