Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that the FAA has agreed to extend the deadline for ASG’s temporary airport tower agreement. Faleomavaega requested the extension on behalf of Governor Togiola who contacted the Congressman on August 6, 2007. In a letter dated August 8, 2007, Faleomavaega informed the Governor and the Fono of the FAA’s decision. The full text of the Congressman’s letter to Governor Togiola, which was copied to the Fono and Senator Inouye, is included below.

Dear Governor Togiola:

In response to your email letter of August 6, 2007 in which you requested my assistance in extending the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) deadline regarding the Other Transactions Agreement which ASG must enter into by August 21, 2007 or lose the $2 million set aside for a temporary airport tower, I have contacted the FAA on your behalf and I am pleased to report that the FAA has agreed to extend the deadline to September 21, 2007. Anything beyond a September 21, 2007 signing date will put the funds in jeopardy since these are funds which were obligated in FY 2005 and which, by law, expire on September 30, 2007.

I am also pleased to report that the FAA has agreed that ASG will not have to have a contractor in place prior to signing. Furthermore, the FAA has agreed that once the OTA is signed, the $2 million in funds will no longer be subject to the expiration of September 21, 2007. In fact, once signed, the agreement has a clause that states that the project must be completed within a certain time period, typically three years. However, the FAA has agreed to allow ASG some flexibility and could allow ASG up to 3.5 or 4 years to complete the construction of a temporary airport tower.

The FAA has also agreed to put in language in the OTA which would allow for a delayed start date rather than requiring ASG to begin construction upon signing of the OTA. Again, this would provide ASG with the time it needs to find a contractor, etc, in the next 6 months.

To recap, the FAA has agreed to extend the OTA signing from August 31, 2007 to September 21, 2007. The FAA will not require ASG to have a contractor in place prior to signing. Once the agreement is signed, the FAA will allow ASG up to 3.5 or 4 years to complete the project. The FAA will also allow for a delayed start date rather than requiring ASG to begin construction on September 21, 2007.

Given that the FAA has agreed to accommodate ASG as much as possible, I am hopeful that ASG will now be able to move forward with this project if our local leaders so desire. For your information, I am enclosing contact information for Ms. Deborah Johnson, Director, Terminal Planning who has provided my office with the information I have outlined in this letter. Ms. Johnson stands prepared to assist you and expedite your requests.

Ms. Johnson may be contacted at deborah.johnson@faa.gov or by phone at 202-385-8604. My office has already alerted her that your office may be contacting her soon.

Faleomavaega concluded his letter by stating, “Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.”