Item Number: 13
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: February 4, 2025
Submitted By:
C. Eric Ray, Airport Director
Subject:
Purchase of Airfield Signs from Standard Signs Inc.
Recommendation:
That the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority Board of Directors approve the purchase of Lumacurve Airfield Signs from Standard Signs Inc., in the amount not to exceed $21,921.17.
Fiscal Impact:
The award of this agreement will result in the expenditure of budgeted operations funds from Airport Account 4500125-52440 in the amount not to exceed $21,921.17. Budgeted infrastructure repair funds are sufficient to accommodate this expenditure. The budget is outlined below:
Current Budget
Balance
4500125-52440 Airport Infrastructure Repairs $169,390.54 Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal E. Invest in Infrastructure: This purchase invests in infrastructure by providing appropriate airfield directional signage.
Background:
The Southern California Logistics Airport (“SCLA”) has on its airfield approximately one hundred airfield guidance signs that provide visual cues to pilots and other airport users.
At the present time the airfield signage at the SCLA consists of a medley of different sign shapes and illumination intensity. Uniformity in signage enhances safety and improves efficiency, thus the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) issues guidance standards for signage and conducts regular inspections of airport signage. The FAA inspected the airfield signage at the SCLA in late 2023, and recommended replacement of multiple 3 8
4 7
signs that had faded or were demonstrating insufficient illumination. Staff set out to replace several signs each year as needed as part of a multi-year sign standardization effort to bring signage uniformity throughout the SCLA.
There are two airfield sign manufacturers in the United States that custom make signs that are similar but not compatible due to their irregularity of shape and size. After studying the signs offered by each vendor, staff selected the Lumacurve option manufactured by Standard Signs, Inc. (‘Standard”) as the signs that would be the best option for the SCLA. Lumacurve signs are designed with a convex shape to better withstand jet blast, whereas the other signs considered were a regular box shape, which does not withstand jet blast as well as the convex signs.
In November 2024, multiple large widebody aircraft utilized runway 3/21 for takeoff. The impressive amount of jet thrust necessary to propel these large aircraft into the sky contributed to several older box style airfield signs being damaged beyond repair. Staff requested and received a quote from Standard to replace the damaged signs with Lumacurve signs.
Discussion:
As part of the ongoing airfield sign standardization effort to replace all airfield signs with Lumacurve signs, in the current fiscal year, staff have already purchased and installed approximately $115,575 of Lumacurve signs from Standard in compliance with City Municipal Code 2.28.100. The current request to purchase Lumacurve signs to replace the damaged signs on runway 3/21 will cause the dollar amount spent with Standard in the current fiscal year to exceed the Executive Director’s authority of $125,000, as stated in City Municipal Code 2.28.060.
Therefore, staff requests and recommends that the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority Board of Directors approve the purchase of Lumacurve signs from Standard in the amount not to exceed $21,921.17.
Staff remains available for any questions or comments you may have.
CER/see
Attachments: A. Site Map
B. Standard Signs Lumacurve Quote
C. City Municipal Code 2.28.100
D. City Municipal Code 2.28.060
E. Sole Source Request