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Airport Budget Up 4.2 Percent: Significant Increases in Projected Fuel and Utilities Costs Are Reflected.

Posted on: Friday, 16 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

By D.R. Stewart, Tulsa World, Okla.

Jun. 16--Tulsa Airports Improvement Trustees approved a $34.4 million 2006-2007 budget Thursday that includes a 4.7 percent increase in the operating costs of Tulsa International Airport.

The new TAIT budget, up 4.2 percent from the current budget, reflects significant increases in projected fuel and utilities costs. Motor fuel costs for a fleet of airport vehicles is expected to rise 45.7 percent, to $102,000, in the new fiscal year, said Airports Director Jeff Mulder.

Electrical utilities costs for the 392,000-square-foot passenger terminal and airfield at Tulsa International Airport are expected to increase 43.3 percent, to $1.34 million from $935,000.

The budget includes a slight increase in debt service for $124.2 million in outstanding revenue bonds. Debt service on the bonds will be $13.34 million, up from $13.39 million in the current budget. Wages and salaries dropped 0.6 percent, to $8.08 million from $8.14 million.

The new budget includes no increases in rates, fees and charges for rent of passenger terminal space. The signatory landing fee rate for the major airlines serving Tulsa International will remain at $1.99 per 1,000 pounds of gross maximum landed weight -- the third straight year landing fees have remained at $1.99.

Trustees accepted $9.9 million in Federal Aviation Administration grants: a $4.13 million grant for a 1,500-foot extension of Taxiway Echo; a $2.76 million grant for the design, construction and inspection of six inbound baggage carousels and baggage information displays as well as the purchase of two 1,500-gallon aircraft rescue and firefighting trucks; and a $3.009 million grant for the second phase of a drainage project at Jones Riverside Airport at Jenks.

Trustees also accepted a $79,207 grant from the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission that will fund 2.5 percent of the Jones Riverside drainage project. Another 2.5 percent will come from airport funds.

Board members also approved construction and management contracts for the Taxiway Echo project, on which construction is expected to begin in August and be completed by January.

Sherwoood Construction Co. of Tulsa, with a low bid of $3.97 million, was awarded a contract to construct the 1,500-foot extension of Taxiway Echo, an 8,500-foot taxiway on the east side of the main north-south runway at Tulsa International.

Garver Engineers of Tulsa was awarded at $277,000 contract for construction management and materials testing on the Taxiway Echo project.

Benham Cos. Inc. of Tulsa was awarded a $16,000 engineering services contract for the Taxiway Echo project.

Keith Construction Co. of Tulsa was awarded a $1.15 million contract for the demolition and replacement of six inbound baggage carousels at Tulsa International.

ARINC, an international consulting firm, was awarded a $588,570 contract to remove and replace six baggage information display systems.

CYLX-Paul Construction Services, with a bid of $80,784, was awarded a contract to repair five tensioned-fabric parking canopy structures that were damaged by a tornado April 1.

Becco Contractors Inc. of Tulsa, with a low bid of $2.97 million, was awarded a contract to construct 1,566 feet of 78-inch diameter reinforced concrete pipe in the drainage project at Jones Riverside. The staff engineer's estimate for the project was $3.45 million.

Meshek & Associates Inc. of Tulsa, with a bid of $206,000, was awarded a construction management and materials testing contract for the Jones Riverside drainage improvement project.

The board also approved the first of two three-year options of a $50,000 professional consulting services contract with San Francisco-based Leigh Fisher Associates.

Leigh Fisher has been retained by the board since 2003. It has conducted Tulsa International's Triennial Review, which examines airport costs and operations compared with other airports nationwide.

The board approved a one-year $1.59 million contract for custodial services at Tulsa Interntional's passenger terminal with Facilities Performance Group LLC of Norcross, Ga.

Triad Business Group LLC of Tulsa was awarded a one-year, $30,100 contract to redesign, maintain and host the Tulsa International Airport Web site at www.tulsaairports.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, Tulsa World, Okla.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Tulsa World

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