ALAMOSA– The San Luis Valley Regional Airport is one step closer to having a new Master Plan.

During the meeting of the Alamosa County Commissioners on Wednesday, San Luis Valley Regional Airport Manager, Will Hickman presented a recommendation for a consultant to update the facilities' plan. It was the culmination of a great deal of deliberation on the part of the Airport Advisory Board.

Hickman explained that the Advisory Board was tasked with selecting four finalists from the proposals that were received. The process followed the requirements of the FAA to ensure both fairness and transparency. The objective of the process was to "rank" the applicants. Hickman called the ranking "Very tough," because of all of the firms being highly qualified for the job. The companies that were chosen as finalists included Jviation, Dowl Engineering, Armstrong Consultants, and Garver Engineering. Hickman noted that he has a great deal of respect for each firm and that the decision came down to small details. He recommended that Armstrong Consultants be awarded the contract.

Some of the reasons he cited for recommending Armstrong Consultants included the proximal location of the companies' offices and accessibility to the company leadership. Also, economic development factors played a key role in the selection process. Hickman acknowledged that the choice "Wasn't an easy decision."

Commissioner Darius Allen made the motion to approve the recommendation and was seconded by Commissioner Michael Yohn. The motion carried. The next step in the process will be to negotiate a scope of work and fees before a contract is awarded. The Advisory Board and Commissioners have expressed confidence that the decision is the right choice moving forward.