Major construction at both the Vicksburg Municipal Airport and Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport will advance due to action taken Monday by the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Construction got under way at VTR Monday on an estimated $4 million parallel taxiway and instrument landing system around the same time the board approved a grant agreement for the airport at Mound to receive $835,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration to aid the project. The money comes in addition to a $3.2 million FFA grant VTR was awarded two months ago for the project, said Randy Woods, airport manager. The Louisiana Department of Transportation will match the FFA grants with 5 percent, while no match is required by Vicksburg or Warren County.

For Vicksburg Municipal, a committee formed to review architectural firms’ bids on a combination fire station and new terminal made its recommendation to the board. Four Mississippi companies submitted proposals, and after reviewing them the committee is recommending Jackson-based Dale and Associates Architects, said committee member and Vicksburg Purchasing Director Tim Smith.

The city was notified in April the airport would receive $1.2 million in grant funds as part of the state’s $5.48 billion Hurricane Katrina recovery package of Community Development Block Grants through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grant money is administered by the Mississippi Development Authority Disaster Recovery Division, and requires a 50 percent match by the city.

The committee will now negotiate with Dale and Associates to finalize a contract for architectural services. It is not clear what the project will cost in total or when it will break ground, and Smith said price and time lines were not discussed as part of the committee’s recommendation process.

“Because this is federal money, most of the criteria had to do with the companies’ qualifications and work history,” said Smith, noting one of the qualifications was the company must subcontract 15 percent of the project to a minority-owned company.

A permanent fire station was established in an existing building at the airport on U.S. 61 South after the 1990 annexation added all of the area to the city’s corporate limits. The new construction will incorporate fire operations and terminal operations into a single building, replacing the terminal that dates to construction of the airport in 1950.

At VTR, Woods said West Monroe-based D&J Construction Company has 210 working days to complete the parallel taxi system at VTR, but added he is confident it will be complete before then.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see it complete in two to three months,” he said of the taxi system, noting the instrument landing system cannot be installed until after the new taxiway is complete.

It’s the largest addition since VTR opened 8 miles west of Vicksburg in 1983, then expected to be a replacement facility for Vicksburg Municipal.

VTR was built for $6 million, with the FAA providing 90 percent of the cost and removing Vicksburg Muncipal from its list of airports eligible for federal dollars. A 1989 city vote to close Vicksburg Municipal was met with a lawsuit by users challenging that decision. In October 2002, a ruling by the Mississippi Supreme Court determined that the city could close the municipal airport, but officials then in office chose not to do so in support of industries that rely on the facility. After repeated denials, the FAA reinstated Vicksburg Muncipal as eligible for state funds in December 2007.

Since its construction, VTR day-to-day operations have cost joint-owners Vicksburg, Warren County, Tallulah and Madison Parish between $20,000 and $30,000 each in annual operating supplements. For 2009, however, budgeted costs per owner will jump to approximately $34,000, to help fund an additional 14-unit T-hangar and land-clearing work associated with the parallel taxiway.

At a glanceMeeting Monday, Vicksburg officials:Recognized Lt. David E. Ebeling of the fire department for 25 years of service.After no comment at a public hearing, renewed a 5.05-mill levy in the downtown taxing district to support the Vicksburg Main Street Program.Received a bid for elevator and escalator maintenance at City Hall and the Vicksburg Convention Center and Auditorium from Jackson-based Otis Elevator.Received a bid for water and gas meters from Jackson-based Hughs Supplies.Received two bids for landscaping, from Vicksburg-based Faulk’s Farm & Garden Shop and Watkins’ Nursery & Landscaping.Accepted recommendation from Purchasing Director Tim Smith on solid waste contract proposals.Adopted three budget amendments; a transfer of $1,430 from senior services to capital fund for the purchase of furniture and fixtures; a transfer of $34,100 from repairs and maintenance to capital improvements fund for repair of a sewer line on Drummond Street; and a transfer of $5,000 from the Triad grant.Discussed dilapidated buildings and overgrown lot codes in regard to 14 properties in Vicksburg and authorized Victor Gray-Lewis, director of Buildings and Inspection, to proceed with cutting, cleaning and/or demolishing at the properties.Authorized the mayor to execute notice of intent to create a quite zone for the Vicksburg Garden District, including Klein, Oak and Court streets.Authorized the mayor to execute a $5,205.75 contract with EnviroSafe Solutions LLC for training.Approved request from Vickburg Police Department to suspend rental of City Park Pavilion during Vicksburg High School home football games on Aug. 29, Sept. 5 and 26 and Oct. 10 and 31.Accepted a letter establishing special assessment and adopted an order for demolition and site clearing of 1411 Jackson St. and 1411 1/2 Jackson St., owned by Willie and Jennie Doss.Rescinded action taken June 25, in which a letter establishing special assessment was accepted and a resolution was adopted to cut and clear property at 1105 North St., owned by the State of Mississippi.Accepted a letter establishing special assessment and adopted a resolution to cut and clear property at 1104 Third North St., owned by the State of Mississippi.Approved Bobby Sanders, community service department employee, as an addition to the employee driving list.Approved a requisition in the amount of $49,934.50 for insecticide for mosquito control.Approved advertising for cleaning, grubbing and rough grading of 201 acres of city property on Fisher Ferry Road expected to be developed as a city park.In closed session, the board:Approved the hiring of two people in the water maintenance department, and one person in each the sewer and gas departments. Approved pay adjustments for one employee in each the gas, landscaping and water maintenance departments.Accepted the resignation of one employee in each the administration, police and water maintenance departments.The next board meeting is at 10 a.m. Monday.