Port awards $2.1 million contract to rehabilitate airport runway 

The Port of Olympia hired a Tacoma-based construction company to rehabilitate one of the runways at Olympia Regional Airport. 

As part of its consent agenda on Monday, April 14, the Port Commission awarded a $2.1 million contract to Tucci & Sons Inc. to rehabilitate around 700 feet of pavement at the sound end of Runway 17-35. 

The project includes upgrades to the runway lights and lighting control system for the entire length of the runway.  

The project is 95% funded by a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The port aims to apply for another grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to fund 2.5% of the project, and then use its own money for the remainder of the costs. 

The port received five bids for the project, three of which they considered responsive. Tucci & Sons was the lowest responsive bidder among the three. 

Tucci & Sons has over 70 years of experience in Western Washington since its establishment in 1950, according to documents provided for the commission’s meeting. 

It specializes in utilities, grading and paving, and has experience with airport and runway projects, serving clients, such as the WSDOT and Joint Base Lewis–McChord. 

Construction is scheduled to commence after Sept. 1, once the streaked horned lark's breeding season concludes. 

Meeting documents noted the project will neither extend nor strengthen the runway to accommodate larger aircraft. 

Project exempt from apprentice requirements 

The project is exempt from a port policy requiring projects of more than $1 million in value to utilize apprentices. Port Resolution 2022-16 requires that at least 15% of the reported labor hours must come from apprentices in projects of such scale. 

The port points to a provision in the resolution that states the executive director has the discretion of waving the requirement if regulations, such as FAA’s contracting requirements, preclude the requirement of hiring apprentices. 

However, residents Debby Pattin and Quentin Phillips, members of the port’s citizens advisory committee, emphasized the importance of having apprenticeship projects during the public comment section of the meeting. Patton said she hopes Tucci & Sons utilize apprentices anyway, even if they are not required to.  

“Apprenticeships are vital to train new skilled workers in the trades,” Patton said. “It's super important if we want skilled workers that we give them opportunity for on-the-job training.” 

Commissioner Jasmine Vasavada said she did not know of any FAA prohibition on utilizing apprentices and requested more information about the topic from staff.

Members of the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters also attended a previous commission meeting to discuss the same issue. 

Mike Reid, the port's director of community and economic development, informed the commission that he had had discussions with the association to explore additional opportunities for apprenticeship beyond the ones provided by contracting requirements.