Sugar Land Regional Airport maintains over 48,000 feet of buried underground cables to support runway and taxiway lights, runway distance remaining signs, and taxi directional signs as well as other navigational aids. Routine and emergent maintenance requires expeditious access to buried lines to effect repairs. In efforts to currently achieve access, staff must manually shovel which results in further delay of returning lighting systems to operational standards. The magnitude of lighting system failures following storms and lightning strikes and the time required to remove and replace individual lighting utilities (transformers and connectors) validates this requirement. The use of a mini-excavator will allow a quicker response in access to utilities and return runway/taxiway lighting systems to service without further delay. Additionally, the Airport maintains over 18 thousand linear feet of fence lines and gates which requires brush clearing on a monthly basis. The mini-excavator will assist in expediting this area of routine maintenance.
Staff researched multiple units and discovered that the Mustang Caterpillar 304E2 Hydraulic Excavator is the best value equipment for the needs of the Airport. Staff received confirmation from the Purchasing Department that Mustang Caterpillar is an HGAC contractor which is equivalent to a BuyBoard contractor. This equipment will be used for repair lighting, signs, pot holes, fences, posts, gates, clearing of drains and removing dirt from pipes.
Through the budget workshop on August 17, 2017, it was addressed that the Airport is challenged to complete maintenance of taxiway lighting, drainage, boundary clearing, and other operational issues. The purchase and use of the mini-excavator will result in efficiencies, labor, and cost. Funding for this purchase is in the Airport Maintenance and Operations budget.
The Aviation Department recommends approval of the purchase of a Mustang Caterpillar Model 304E2 Hydraulic Mini Excavator in the amount of $63,367.91, as presented to City Council during the Enterprise Fund Budget Workshop in August 2017.