ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: September 16, 2026 AGENDA CATEGORY: Consent - Resolutions TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Zachary Meyer, Public Works Director
DATE: August 28, 2026
SUBJECT: Resolution Ratifying Submission of Application for Funding Request for the Bakersfield Municipal Airport
for the construction and installation of a new Automated Weather Observing System, which is funded by both the Airport Improvement Program and the Airport Infrastructure Grant to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration and California Department of Transportation of Aeronautics. (Ward 1)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff Recommends approval of the resolution.
BACKGROUND:
The resolution ratifies the submission of grant applications to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the California Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics (Caltrans) for the construction and installation of an Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) at the Bakersfield Municipal Airport.
The resolution also authorizes the City Manager, or his or her designee, to execute all documents necessary for the grant applications and to accept the associated grant funds.
The construction and installation of a new AWOS will provide pilots with continuous, real -time weather information and reports, improving overall safety at the Bakersfield Municipal Airport. Pilots currently rely on weather information from the AWOS located at Meadows Field Airport, approximately 20 miles away.
Because weather conditions can vary between the two locations, this information may not accurately reflect conditions at the Bakersfield Municipal Airport. Installation of the new AWOS will provide pilots with more accurate, site-specific weather information and enhance aviation safety.
The total project cost is $591,925. The FAA will provide 95 % of the project funding, totaling $562,329, through a combination of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and Airport Infrastructu re Grant funds.
Caltrans will provide a 5 percent match of the AIP -funded portion, totaling $11,300, and the remaining $18,296 will be funded through the General Aviation Fund.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding for the AWOS project will be funded by Federal and Stat e grants, along with General Aviation Funds. There is no General Fund impact associated with the project.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Safety and Resilience
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution