PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      5a 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting      April 1, 2014 
DATE:    March 24, 2014 
TO:      Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Stan Shepherd, Manager, Airport Noise Programs 
SUBJECT:  Airport Noise and Operations Monitoring System Replacement (CIP #C800608) 
Amount of This Request:        $1,900,000   Source of Funds:       100% Airport
Development Fund 
Est. Total Project Cost:          $1,900,000 
Est. State and Local Taxes:         $47,500 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to (1) proceed with the
Airport Noise and Operations Monitoring System Replacement project; (2) authorize the
procurement of required hardware, software, and vendor services; and (3) authorize Port staff to
implement the project; for a total project cost not to exceed $1,900,000. 
SYNOPSIS 
As a function of the Aviation Community Partnerships Department, the Noise Programs Office
operates a noise and operations monitoring system to ensure airline compliance with noise
abatement procedures, investigate citizen inquiries, and provide information to the public, airline
partners and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Noise monitors located throughout the
region record sound levels which are correlated with flight track data to provide information for
the Annual Fly Quiet Awards program and assist with updating the Port's website. Implemented
in 1999, the noise monitors and computer servers are past the vendor's published "end of life." 
The recently updated  Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 150 Noise and Land Use
Compatibility Study, which is currently under FAA final review, considered  the current
technology in use and identified a need for replacement of the noise monitors and flight tracking
system in the study recommendations. 
This project will replace aging software, hardware, and noise monitors to ensure availability of
systems critical to Sea-Tac Noise Programs.  Information Communication Technology (ICT),
Aviation Maintenance, Aviation Community Partnerships, and Port Construction Services (PCS) 
resources will be utilized to complete the project. Total project costs are estimated to be
$1,900,000. This project was included in the 2014  2018 capital budget and plan of finance. 
Recurring software license and maintenance costs will be budgeted within the ICT Department

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
March 24, 2014 
Page 2 of 5 
operating budget. Replacement parts for monitors will be budgeted in the annual Aviation 
Community Partnerships operating budget. 

BACKGROUND 
The Noise Programs Office was created in 1985 as a result of the initial Federal Aviation
Regulation (FAR) Part 150 Noise Study. The current noise monitoring system was implemented
in 1999 and includes 24 physical noise monitors and Bruel & Kjaer Airport Noise and
Operations Management Software (ANOMS). In 2003, a Bruel & Kjaer application was added to
the Port of Seattle website that enables the public to independently investigate the noise levels of 
individual flights. Aircraft noise levels are recorded by the noise monitors, processed overnight, 
and then uploaded to the software system. Four of the monitors also record weather information
to analyze meteorological conditions. The software system displays flight tracks from various
data and radar feeds, includes inquiry and management tools, and generates reports. 
The Noise Programs Office uses the system to manage citizen complaints, comments and
requests for information, which arrive in the form of phone calls or email. Requests are
investigated using the software system which superimposes the location  identified in the
inquiries onto the system's flight tracking map. A correlation of the flight track and event time is
used to determine a specific flight operation that may have prompted contact with the Noise
Programs Office. Noise staff responds to inquiries with specific aircraft operation details but
response time is at least 24 hours or more after the noise event due to the overnight processing
required by the outdated noise monitors. All complaints and comments from the public are
reported to the FAA. 
The data received from the noise monitors is not used to produce the Part 150 annual Day Night
Level (DNL) noise contours, since the FAA requires that DNL contours be prepared using data
from  their Integrated Noise Modeling (INM) software, which does  not allow for field noise
monitoring data (produced by noise monitors) as an input variable. Upgrading the system will
have no impact on the recently updated DNL contours for the Part 150. 
The Noise Programs Office also manages a program that provides annual feedback to the airlines
operating at Sea-Tac regarding compliance with noise abatement requirements. The Fly Quiet
Awards program was established in 2003 to increase airline awareness of the impact of aircraft
noise on local communities. This incentive-based competition among airlines evaluates noise
reduction efforts by analyzing three categories: single event noise, noise abatement flight
procedures, and adherence to engine run-up regulations. 
Finally, Noise Programs Office staff meet monthly with the FAA to discuss airline adherence to
the noise abatement procedures and a monthly noise abatement procedures report, compiled with
data from ANOMS, is presented to the FAA that highlights aircraft flight paths that failed to
comply with each procedure.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
March 24, 2014 
Page 3 of 5 
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND DETAILS 
Issues with aging equipment and software cause information gaps for reporting and responding
to public inquiries, limiting the Port's ability to support programs important to our community,
the airlines, and the FAA.
In the past two years we have had over 110 issues related to equipment or connectivity
failures requiring frequent on-site maintenance. Bruel & Kjaer stopped production of our
15 year old noise monitors 5 years ago, making replacement parts difficult to locate. 
There have been 3 major system failures in the past 12 months, each time requiring a
lengthy data recovery process and compromising our ability to ensure accurate, timely
information. In 2012, there were four months of either compromised or unrecoverable
data due to system issues. 
Approximately 40% of a Noise Programs Office staff resource is required to address
system issues and administration. A significant improvement in system performance will
reduce that time to 20%. 
The system server is unsupported by the manufacturer and the server operating system
will be unsupported by 2015. 
Project Objectives 
Ensure the Sea-Tac Noise System will support critical airport programs by replacing 
hardware and software beyond its useful life. 
Scope of Work 
Procure and install a noise monitoring system that includes new noise collection 
devices, analysis software, a public-facing website, and management system to track
inquiries and generate information for required reports and community engagement
materials. 
Improve infrastructure at monitor locations, if needed to support new technology. 
Schedule 
Commission Approval                                  April 2014 
Procurement Complete                                September 2014 
Installation Complete                                       August 2015 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Budget/Authorization Summary              Capital     Expense   Total Project 
Original Budget                      $2,000,000          $0    $2,000,000 
Budget reduction                      -$100,000                -$100,000 
Revised budget                      $1,900,000               $1,900,000 
Previous Authorizations                       $0          $0          $0 
Current request for authorization            $1,900,000          $0    $1,900,000

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
March 24, 2014 
Page 4 of 5 
Total Authorizations, including this request     $1,900,000          $0    $1,900,000 
Remaining budget to be authorized               $0          $0          $0 
Total Estimated Project Cost              $1,900,000          $0    $1,900,000 
Project Cost Breakdown                     This Request       Total Project 
Hardware                              $500,000         $500,000 
Vendor Services                            $760,000          $760,000 
Port Resources                              $279,500          $279,500 
Contingency 20%                          $313,000         $313,000 
State & Local Taxes (estimated)                    $47,500           $47,500 
Total                                      $1,900,000         $1,900,000 
Training costs, estimated at $18,000, will be budgeted in the Aviation Division Operating
Budget. 
Budget Status and Source of Funds 
This project was included in the 2014-2018 capital budget and plan of finance as a $2,000,000
business plan prospective project within CIP #C800608, Noise System Replacement. The budget
reduction will be transferred to the Aeronautical Allowance CIP (C800404), resulting in no
change to the Airport capital budget. The source of funds is the Airport Development Fund. 
Financial Analysis and Summary 
CIP Category             Renewal/Enhancement 
Project Type              Technology 
Risk adjusted discount rate     N/A 
Key risk factors             N/A 
Project cost for analysis        $1,900,000 
Business Unit (BU)          Airfield Movement Area Cost Center 
Effect on business performance  N/A 
IRR/NPV             N/A 
CPE Impact             $.03 in 2016; no change from business plan forecast as
this project was included in the plan. 
Lifecycle Cost and Savings 
Software license and maintenance fees of $200,000 are currently budgeted in the ICT operating
budget. Total costs to maintain the system including estimated license and maintenance fees, as
well as Port recurring labor costs are not expected to change significantly with this project. 
STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES 
This project supports the Century Agenda strategy to advance this region as a leading tourism
destination and business getaway, by ensuring the availability of systems that support important

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
March 24, 2014 
Page 5 of 5 
programs that are critical to airline expansion at Sea-Tac. This project also supports the Aviation
Division strategy to maintain community partnerships and socially responsible practices.
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1)  Replace the noise monitors and upgrade the current system software. In the
fifteen years since our current software was selected, other vendors have developed competing
products that should be evaluated to ensure that the Port has implemented the best solution to
address public inquiry responses, generate reports and produce information for required FAA
reporting. This is not the recommended alternative. The project manager will coordinate with the
Office of Social Responsibility to identify small business opportunities. 
Alternative 2)  Maintain the existing system. The increase in number of equipment and
software failures will continue to impact the Port's ability to provide accurate information to the
public, the FAA, and other entities that rely on our data. This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 3)  Procure a noise monitoring system through a competitive process. Procuring a
noise monitoring system through a competitive process will allow the team to compare products
and services currently available in the market. A replacement of the aging noise system will
ensure the availability of a system that supports our important community programs and FAA
mandated reporting requirements. This is the recommended alternative. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
None. 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
None.