Continuing city efforts to improve Warren Field Airport, Washington’s City Council tentatively awarded a contract during its meeting Monday.

The contract was awarded to Walker & Whiteside Inc., which submitted the low base bid of $273,256 to do the runway 5-23 lighting rehabilitation project. The company also submitted four bid alternates totaling $72,315.10. It is the city’s intention to accept all bid alternates, according to Allen Lewis, the city’s public-works director.

Walker & Whiteside’s base bid and four bid alternates total $345,571, according to the bid tabulation sheet.

In addition to Walker & Whiteside, bids were submitted by Precision Approach, LLC; Barnes & Powell Electrical Co.; and Cedar Peaks Enterprises Inc. Talbert & Bright Inc., the city’s airport engineers, prepared the bid tabulation sheet.

The state’s Division of Aviation must approve the proposed work before the contract is signed.

The total project cost of $419,658.10 — which includes but it not limited to construction, engineering and grant administration — will be paid for with $288,158 in N.C. Division of Aviation grant funds, $89,535.10 in Vision 100 funds and $41,965.90 from the city.

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

In a related matter, the council authorized paying Talbert & Bright $69,087 to perform construction administration services, grant administration services and other services related to airport projects.