City of Kingston Report to Council Report Number

Transcription

1 To: From: Resource Staff: City of Kingston Report to Council Report Number Mayor and Members of Council Denis Leger, Commissioner Transportation, Facilities and Emergency Services David Snow, Airport Manager Date of Meeting: Subject: Kingston Airport Expansion Service Level Environmental Executive Summary: Assessment, Request for Proposals At its recently completed strategic priority-setting sessions, Council identified the airport expansion as a priority. Staff had incorporated the expansion of the passenger terminal building and the extension of the airport runway in the 15-year capital budget indicating that airport infrastructure enhancements could take place between 2016 and As Council wants to realize the completion of the airport expansion project during its term, in either the 2017 or 2018 calendar years, staff is recommending that it provide funding from the Municipal Capital Reserve Fund to proceed with the hiring of a consulting firm to undertake the screening level environmental assessment. Proceeding at this point in time should allow for completion of the project in the desired timeframe. Recommendation: That Council approve the issuance of a Request for Proposals for the undertaking of the screening level environmental assessment and the design of environmental mitigations as part of the Kingston Airport expansion project with estimated costs of up to $150,000 to be funded from the Municipal Capital Reserve Fund. Council Meeting

2 Page 2 of 5 Authorizing Signatures: Denis Leger, Commissioner, Transportation, Facilities and Emergency Services Gerard Hunt, Chief Administrative Officer Consultation with the following Members of the Corporate Management Team: Cynthia Beach, Corporate & Strategic Initiatives Lanie Hurdle, Community Services Jim Keech, President and CEO, Utilities Kingston Desiree Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer & City Treasurer Required Council Meeting

3 Options/Discussion: Page 3 of 5 At its recently completed strategic priority-setting sessions, Council identified the airport expansion as a priority. Staff had incorporated the expansion of the passenger terminal building and the extension of the airport runway in the 15-year capital budget indicating that airport infrastructure enhancements could take place between 2016 and In 2007, City Council endorsed the Kingston Norman Rogers Airport 2007 Master Plan Study. The purpose of the study was to serve as a framework for future development of the Airport s lands, operations and facilities which included recommendations for the short, mid and long term (20 years) horizon which would complement and support local/regional initiatives and development. The Master Plan identified the extension of the north-south runway and expansion of the passenger terminal building as a mid-term improvement to be considered within a year timeframe. As part of its Strategic Plan, Council identified the airport expansion as a major infrastructure project to be considered. Accordingly, the City commissioned and Council received, in early 2012, the Business Case for Service Expansion Opportunities at Kingston Airport Report EITP This report concluded that the business case for airport investment could not be made on a purely financial basis as improved incremental revenues generated by the expanded infrastructure would unlikely recoup the capital costs of all improvements. However, the report also provides an economic development perspective indicating that the expansion would facilitate air service growth, make Kingston more accessible to business and academia and would contribute to keeping Kingston competitive in a global business environment. Subsequently, on the basis of the business case findings and recommendations, directed staff to undertake an air service development initiative targeted at Air Canada and other potential carriers. On the basis of further direction from Council, it was requested that staff prepare a report to outline the processes required to enable the airport expansion project, including order of magnitude costing and sources of funding. The work was commissioned and resulted in the report which was presented to Council in July 2012 which was entitled Kingston Airport Expansion Project Implementation Plan Report The Implementation Plan provided more refined capital cost estimates (Class D ) and in addition identified the four critical activities that needed to be addressed as next steps: Development of a Project Definition Document Screening Level Environmental Assessment Establishment of a Project Management Team Selecting a Design-Build Implementation Team A Project Definition Document would provide detailed information about the project requirements in order to solicit proposals from design-builders and further provide a Class C project capital cost estimate. A Project Definition Document was commissioned and received by Council in November 2013 Report The staff report also summarized the considerations and findings of the various planning and other studies, including the Master Plan, Business Council Meeting

4 Page 4 of 5 Case and Implementation Plan. Staff further indicated that it would identify the airport expansion project in the timeframe in the 15-year capital forecast. The Implementation Plan anticipates a 20-month implementation period from the selection of a consultant to perform project management services to the actual commissioning of the completed expansion. This timeline included a period where field studies for the screening level environmental assessment would take place over the summer months as much of the screening needs to take place outside the winter season. The first 9 months would be required to complete the field studies, undertake public consultations and complete reports as part of the screening level environmental assessment that would eventually assist in determining the final requirements to incorporate in a design-build request for proposals.. The implementation schedule that was developed by LPS Avia is very ambitious and does not include much time for delays in conducting the field work, receiving approvals, reviews, design or construction. Council Priority As Council wants to realize the completion of the airport expansion project during its term, in either the 2017 or 2018 calendar years, staff is recommending that it provide funding from the Municipal Capital reserve Fund to proceed with the hiring of a consulting firm to undertake the screening level environmental assessment. Proceeding at this point in time should allow for completion of the project in the desired timeframe. Staff will be recommending and thereby including the full cost estimate of the Airport Expansion Project in its 2016 capital budget submission for Council s consideration. Should this be approved, the completion of the screening level environmental assessment now will allow the completion of the design and proceeding with the project in 2016, with completion likely in The hiring of the project management team would not commence until such time as Council approves and provides the requisite funding for the expansion project. Request for Proposals Environmental Assessment The Airport Master Plan (2007) and the Project Definition Document (2013), the latter the design services consultancy, were previously awarded through competitive processes. Although the firm that was selected previously might have significant knowledge and wealth of technical information regarding Kingston Airport that a new and different consulting firm might rely upon, staff feels that issuing a Request for Proposals for the environmental assessment would assist in soliciting competitive proposals from a variety of consulting firms. Beginning the project management consultant selection in June 2015 would result in a probable late August-early September 2015 award. This would enable the selected proponent to complete the field work in the fall of 2015/spring 2016, and anticipate a fall 2017 construction completion timeframe. Council Meeting

5 Existing Policy/By-Law: Purchasing By-Law Notice Provisions: Accessibility Considerations: Page 5 of 5 Documentation from the Consultant and all Public Consultation materiel will conform to the City s policies on accessibility. Financial Considerations: In order to proceed with the screening level environmental assessment of the airport expansion project, staff is recommending that funding in the amount not to exceed $150,000 come from the Municipal Capital Reserve Fund. Contacts: Other City of Kingston Staff Consulted: Lana Foulds, Manager Financial Planning Exhibits Attached: Council Meeting