Washington County Commissioners approved purchasing new Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) lights for Kaolin Field at their Thursday, December 10 meeting.
County Administrator Dustin Peebles explained that the County received $20,000 in CARES Act funds that were specifically designated for use at the local airport; those funds will be used to purchase the new lights.
“Our current lights are old, and some of the lights aren’t working,” said County Administrator Peebles.
During the meeting, County Administrator Peebles stated that PAPI lights help pilots when landing in order to stay on the correct approach.
“This would be a really good use of the money,” said County Administrator Peebles.
Two quotes were received for these new lights. The older style lights cost approximately $29,600. The newer LED style would cost $40,920.
“The recommendation is to go with the LED lights because they’ll last longer, and they won’t cost as much to operate because they’re more energy efficient,” said County Administrator Peebles. He added, “I think we would overcome that extra amount over time.”
When discussing the remaining $20,920 to pay for the LED PAPI lights, County Administrator Peebles stated that the County has some funds remaining in the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST 7); those funds are dedicated for the local airport.
Commissioners voted to proceed with installing the upgraded LED style PAPI lights in the amount of $40,920 from Trinity Electrical Services. All existing wiring will be reused for the installation. This quote also includes one trip to assist the flight check for aiming of the lights.