Washington is seeking information from engineering firms interested in providing airport-related engineering services for the city’s Washington-Warren Airport.

The N.C. Department of Transportation requires that local governments that own airports seek requests for qualifications from engineering firms on a regular basis, according to Allen Lewis, the city’s director of public works. The city is seeking information related to such engineering firms providing engineering, planning and general consulting services for Washington-Warren Airport.

“Through the (N.C.) Division of Aviation, we have to do that every five years,” Lewis said. “It’s nothing big. It’s something we have to do. … It’s just routine.”

Currently, Talbert & Bright is providing airport engineering services to the city.

The engineering firm used by the city will be expected to provide airport planning, environmental analysis, preliminary and final designs, estimating, bidding and construction management and other functions. The firm also will be expected to help prepare applications for grants related to airport work and provide technical assistance and advice concerning airport needs, future development, funding strategies and implementation of airport projects, according to a city document.

Proposals from interested firms are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 21.

The city, with assistance from Talbert & Bright, continues to spend money to improve the airport. The most-recent major project was the building of a new terminal building. The grand opening of that new facility was held in May.

In December 2013, the City Council awarded an $899,905.50 contract to A.R. Chesson Construction Co. to build a new terminal building at Washington-Warren Airport.

Most of the funding for this project came from three sources; $500,000 in N.C. Division of Aviation grant funds, $199,277 in Vision 100 airport funds and $200,628.50 in insurance proceeds, according to city documents.

In January, the City Council adopted a resolution related to improvements at the airport. The city will use $89,109 in state grant funds to help pay for lighting rehabilitation for runway 5-23.

The city is providing $9,901 (or 10 percent) of the total $99,010 in state aid to airports earmarked for that project. This grant will be combined with another grant, approved by the council June 9, 2014, to help fund airport improvements. The overall project’s cost is $419,740.80, according to Lewis.

The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation is providing $288,657.90 toward the overall project, with $89,109 coming from the Vision 100 funds program. The city is providing $41,974.10 toward the overall project cost.

The project deadline is July 1, 2018.

The project includes replacing the runway edge lights, replacing the runway lighting circuit and installing a new, lighted wind cone, among other work.

That action is in addition to other airport-related actions taken by the council in recent years.

In December 2014, the council amended the city’s budget ordinance to complete funding for engineering services for the engineering of the approach surveys and analysis project at the airport.

The city has been using a combination of grant funding and city dollars to pay for airport improvements. The council’s action increased the airport fund by $5,620 (from the Vision 100 grant) and by $626 (appropriated from the city’s fund balance as the city’s grant match) for a total increase in the airport fund of $6,246.

The approach study will focus on runway 5-23 and runway 17-35 at the city-owned airport.

Other projects included the resurfacing of runways.