Item 6d Memo
PORT OF SEATTLE MEMORANDUM COMMISSION AGENDA Item No. 6d Date of Meeting November 23, 2009 DATE: November 16, 2009 TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer FROM: Stan Shepherd, Manager, Airport Noise Programs SUBJECT: Authorization to contract for Part 150 Noise Consulting Services Amount of This Request: $2.5 Million Source of Funds: FAA Grants (80%) and Airport Development Fund ACTION REQUESTED Request for authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to procure and execute contracts for consultant services to implement an update to Sea-Tac Airport's Part 150 Noise Compatibility Plan at an overall approximate cost of up to $2.5 million. This represents an increase of $1.5 million over the previously authorized amount. SYNOPSIS A Part 150 Noise and Land Use Compatibility Study is required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to update airport noise compatibility programs and provide eligibility for grant funds. Sea-Tac's last Part 150 update was completed and approved by the FAA in 2002. Since that time, there have been significant changes in the airport's noise environment. These changes include building and commissioning the new third runway, the greater use of quieter aircraft, and fewer aircraft operations than initially projected. In addition, the Port committed in both the third runway Record of Decision (ROD) and the last Part 150 to implementing an update to the Part 150 approximately one year after the third runway became operational. This request is to procure consultants to help verify levels of effort, develop scopes of work, perform design, and implement and guide the next Part 150 update. The consulting teams typically consist of professionals in land use planning, public relations, noise, and environmental issues. In addition to consultants, Port employees will participate in the update in the areas of land use planning, GIS applications, community outreach, environmental evaluations, and noise. In June of this year, the Commission approved procurement of a single contract for an amount between $500,000 and $1 million. Since that time, preliminary scoping of the extent of the work and necessary public involvement has been identified. Due to FAA requirements, an additional contract is necessary to verify effort and scope before active work can be contracted and get underway. Other contracts may potentially be required by the FAA as work evolves. Port Noise staff is working closely with the Central Procurement Office on procurement of each contract that will be necessary. COMMISSION AGENDA T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer November 16, 2009 Page 2 of 6 While the scope has been unfolding, the FAA has provided $2 million in grant funding toward the Part 150 Update. Although the total scope cannot yet be accurately cost estimated, staff believes the current range of cost has risen to $1.4 million to $2.5 million ($2 million from grant and $500,000 from ADF) if the entire federal grant is necessary to accomplish the work. A tighter range of total costs will be available in two months. The work is highly technical and must accommodate federal regulations and a wide array of community interests. Staff currently estimates that the $1million that has been set aside for this work in the aviation annual budget will cover the estimated expenditures for the coming year. As a result , adequate funding is available for this Part 150 Update to move forward as soon as allowable by the FAA, CPO, and Port Commission. Staff also estimates that although there is ample grant monies, that they may not all be necessary for this project. After scoping is complete with the FAA, staff will return to the Commission multiple times during 2010 to brief the Commission on the progress of the study, associated costs, and community involvement. BACKGROUND In 1985 the Port completed the first Sea-Tac Airport Part 150 Study. Since that time there have been two other updates to the Study in 1993 and 2002. Through our Part 150 programs and the 1990 Noise Mediation Project, the Port has been a national leader in both noise abatement and sound mitigation. To date we have spent over $500 million on total mitigation programs including home and school insulation, property acquisition and relocation. Noise Abatement programs have aggressively phased out older stage II aircraft prior to the federal ban in the year 2000, maintained noise abatement flight corridors, and deployed a comprehensive flight tracking and noise monitoring system. During the past few years, major changes have taken place in the airport's noise environment. These changes included Horizon Airlines replacing their F-28 noisy aircraft with quieter CRJ's and more recently, Dash 8-400s; and Alaska Airlines replacing their MD80 aircraft with newer and quieter Boeing 737-800 jets. As operating costs increased, many other airlines also began eliminating older noisier aircraft making the nation's overall fleet much quieter. The biggest change in the airport's noise environment came with the commissioning of the new third runway. In the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the new 3rd runway and in the last Part 150 update, the Port prepared forecasted noise contours for the year 2010 based on the best information available at the time about fleet mix and operations numbers. Based on those contours, the Port identified areas of increased noise caused by the new 3rd runway and insulated an additional 74 homes northwest of the airport that had a forecasted increase of 1.5 DNL outside of the previous noise boundary. The Port also purchased 62 homes in the north Approach Transition Zone based on low flying aircraft and anticipated noise associated with the third runway. Now that the third runway has been operational, the project team can evaluate the actual noise impacts based on real flight track and noise data that the Port has been collecting for many years and will use for this study. COMMISSION AGENDA T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer November 16, 2009 Page 3 of 6 PROJECT DESCRIPTION/SCOPE OF WORK The major focus of the Part 150 Noise and Land Use Compatibility Study update will be to analyze changes in the noise environment with the recent inclusion of the new third runway, as required by the EIS for the third runway's master plan update. Other areas of focus will include analysis of sideline noise, hush house feasibility, and noise abatement flight procedures for operations on the third runway. Other elements of the Part 150 process will include: Developing a Public Involvement Plan Developing an inventory of existing conditions Preparing Aviation Demand Forecasts Evaluating the need for additional noise measurements Preparing an existing conditions noise contour Preparing a future 5 year conditions noise contour Evaluating land use and community noise impacts based on prepared contours Evaluating noise abatement procedure alternatives Evaluating noise monitoring and flight tracking system and equipment Preparing a Noise and Land Use Compatibility Plan The existing noise contours for 2009 will have to be re-evaluated at the end of 2010 to confirm runway use assumptions used due to the re-construction and subsequent closure of the eastern runway (16L/34R) during the summer of 2009. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED/RECOMMENDED ACTION Alternative 1: Perform the update using both consultant and Port staff. The FAA requires utilization of independent technical consultants for this work. The combination of both consultants and in-house staff allow the technical work, coordination with the FAA and the public outreach to occur in the most effective way. This is the recommended alternative. Alternative 2: Perform the update using only Port staff. This update requires significant amounts of public involvement and noise expertise. The Airport has neither an adequate amount of in-house staff to complete a project of this large magnitude nor the in-house technical noise expertise required to perform the work. This is not the recommended alternative. Alternative 3: Do not perform the Part 150 update. The Port and FAA had earlier agreed to perform the update. The update is necessary to evaluate noise impacts of the additional runway and to continue the airport's eligibility for federal grants. This is not the recommended alternative. COMMISSION AGENDA T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer November 16, 2009 Page 4 of 6 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Source of Funds This project will be included in the Noise Programs Office expense budget for the years 2009, 2010, and 2011. The funding plan for this project will be 80% Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funds from the FAA with the remaining 20% being funded by Airport Development Funds (ADF). The 2010 preliminary budget includes $1 million for this study. Financial Analysis Summary CIP Category N/A Expense Item Project Type Noise Risk adjusted Discount rate N/A Key risk factors N/A Project cost for analysis $1 million in 2010 and $0.5 to $2.5 million in 2011 Business Unit (BU) Community Development Effect on business performance The ADF funded portion of the project costs will be recovered through rates and charges, and NOI after depreciation will increase IRR/NPV N/A CPE Impact Approximately $.01 in 2010 and $.01 -.02 in 2011. As an expense item, this will not be ongoing. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY/COMMUNITY BENEFITS This update will enable the Airport to evaluate operational changes, and associated noise effects, as a result of the additional runway. This update will also allow the community to definitively understand any resultant noise impacts associated with the additional runway. Prior estimated noise contours will be compared with current actual contours to determine if greater or lesser noise impacts exist. If greater impacts exist, that information will be useful to planning future Port and FAA noise mitigation efforts for the community. PROJECT SCHEDULE As a result of working with FAA staff and allowing adequate time for both consultant contracting and public outreach efforts, the schedule has been adjusted to the estimated timeframe indicated below. Description/Task Date Public Involvement Plan November 2009 Establish Technical Advisory Committee December 2009 Begin public involvement workshops February 2010 Begin evaluation of all Part 150 elements March 2010 Finalize Part 150 recommendations October 2011 COMMISSION AGENDA T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer November 16, 2009 Page 5 of 6 Submit recommendations to FAA November 2011 FAA 180 day review ends April 2012 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED/RECOMMENDED ACTION Alternative 1: Perform the update using both consultant and Port staff. The FAA requires utilization of independent technical consultants for this work. The combination of both consultants and in-house staff allow the technical work, coordination with the FAA and the public outreach to occur in the most effective way. This is the recommended alternative. Alternative 2: Perform the update using only Port staff. This update requires significant amounts of public involvement and noise expertise. The Airport has neither an adequate amount of in-house staff to complete a project of this large magnitude nor the in-house technical noise expertise required to perform the work. This is not the recommended alternative. Alternative 3: Do not perform the Part 150 update. The Port and FAA had earlier agreed to perform the update. The update is necessary to evaluate noise impacts of the additional runway and to continue the airport's eligibility for federal grants. This is not the recommended alternative. PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTION Resolution No. 2943, as adopted on January 8, 1985 Created the first Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Part 150 program, established the Port's Noise Acquisition and Insulation programs. Resolution No. 3062 adopted May 8, 1990 Adopted the Noise Mediation Agreement, a series of noise reduction measures negotiated through an environmental mediation process. Resolution No 3144 adopted July 13, 1993 Amended the Part 150 program to include additional operational and land use elements to the Airports Noise Compatibility Plan Resolution No. 3212 as adopted on August 1, 1996 Adopted a Master Plan Update for Seattle- Tacoma International Airport, approved development of a new dependent air carrier runway, and committing to fulfill additional noise reduction measures in accordance with the Puget Sound Regional Council resolution A-96-02 Resolution No 3443 as adopted December 12, 2000 Updated the Part 150 program by adding operational and land use elements to the Airports Noise Compatibility Plan, which was formally approved by the FAA in 2002. COMMISSION AGENDA T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer November 16, 2009 Page 6 of 6 Request to execute a noise contract on June 23, 2009 Authorized the CEO to procure and execute a contract for consultant services to implement an update to Sea-Tac's Part 150 Noise Compatibility Plan in the amount of $500,000 to $1 million. ATTACHMENTS None
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