Watertown City Council to Consider Consent Approval of $264K Airport Solar Array Engineering Contract for Watertown Regional Airport
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - A major airport infrastructure item appears on Monday night’s Watertown City Council consent agenda: a $264,592.81 professional services agreement for engineering and construction oversight of a new solar array at Watertown Regional Airport.
Project Description
The agenda document states that the city intends to construct a new solar panel array to generate and supply electricity for the airport terminal. The system would be installed on carport‑mounted structures in the terminal parking lot. Additional electrical work includes:
· Power inverters
· Supply cabling
· Interior electrical panel upgrades
A line from the agreement notes:
“The PROJECT shall include the construction of a new solar panel array to generate and supply electricity for the terminal at the Watertown Regional Airport.”
Airport Manager Ian Meriwether is listed as the project lead.
Professional Services Agreement
The proposed agreement is with Schmucker, Paul, Nohr & Associates, Inc., dba Helms & Associates Corporation, of Aberdeen. The contract covers all engineering and administrative work required to prepare the project for construction and manage it through completion.
The scope includes:
· Environmental Review & Field Survey
· Design Report, Preliminary & Final Design
· Bidding & Negotiation
· Construction Administration
· Resident Engineering Services
The agreement requires Helms to follow all current FAA design standards, including Advisory Circulars and the FAA’s Standards for Specifying Construction of Airports (AC 150/5370‑10G). Any deviation from FAA standards must be approved in writing by the FAA.
The total contract amount is $264,592.81, divided into lump‑sum design work and cost‑plus‑fixed‑fee construction oversight.
· Environmental Review, Field Survey, Design Report, Preliminary & Final Design — $124,914.35
· Bidding & Negotiation — $16,871.85
Cost Plus Fixed Fee
· Construction Administration — $52,314.24 plus fixed fee of $6,819.40
· Resident Engineering Services — $56,515.46 plus fixed fee of $7,157.51
The agreement’s maximum limiting amount is $264,592.81.
Funding Breakdown
The project is funded primarily through federal aviation dollars:
· Federal FAA share (95%) — $251,363.17
· State DOT share (2.5%) — $6,614.82
· City share (2.5%) — $6,614.82
The city’s portion has already been budgeted in account 606‑43503‑43905.
Meeting Information
The Watertown City Council meets Monday, September 21, 2026, at 5:30. This item is part of the consent agenda, meaning it may be approved without discussion unless a council member requests its removal for separate consideration.
