Opposing Sides Still Far Apart on Kalispell Airport

Oct. 15, 2013
A referendum on the Kalispell's general aviation airport is shaping up to be the dominating election issue

Oct. 14--Election Day in Kalispell is three weeks away.

A referendum on the city's general aviation airport is shaping up to be the dominating issue and seems to be growing more contentious with each passing day.

Referendum supporters are asking voters to repeal the City Council's decision to pursue an airport realignment and expansion through the federal Airport Improvement Program.

They argue the airport has been mismanaged and heavily subsidized by local taxpayers and that the situation will only get worse if the estimated $16.1 million project is pursued.

In their view, the project would not benefit anyone except a small minority of airport users. They also continue to question the amount of local taxpayer money that would have to be applied toward the project and if the city could ever get its hands on federal funding needed to pay for the rest.

Referendum opponents are asking voters to uphold the City Council's decision.

They argue the project is the best way to address long-running noise and safety complaints about the airport, develop the airport as a city asset and put the airport on solid financial footing through a federal aviation trust fund program created specifically to help improve and maintain airports.

Federal funding could pay for most of the project's cost, and reimbursement for nearly $3 million of past city expenditures for the airport could cover almost all of the rest, they argue.

After more than a decade of airport studies and planning, setbacks, debate, controversy and expenditures, both sides of the unresolved issue are as far apart as ever _ even as the issue barrels toward what's bound to be a milestone public vote.

What happens if the City Council's plan for the airport is repealed?

In addition to the perceived merits or drawbacks of the proposed project, people on both sides of the issue are also arguing about that.

At a recent candidate forum, unchallenged mayoral candidate Mark Johnson estimated that if the City Council's plan is rejected it will cost about $1.6 million locally to keep the city airport open and in adequate condition.

Johnson went on to question how Kalispell plans to come up with that kind of money to spend on its airport.

With no clear answer in place, Johnson said he's leaning toward voting in favor of the City Council's plan, even as he chided the council for its lack of leadership on the airport issue.

In a recent letter in the Daily Inter Lake, departing council member Bob Hafferman said the alternative to the federally funded realignment and expansion is spending an estimated $2 million from the Airport Tax Increment Financing District to rehabilitate the airport.

But other members of the Kalispell City Council have questioned if using the tax increment financing district to pay for routine maintenance such as a runway mill and overlay is an appropriate or even permissible use for the money.

Quiet Skies spokesman Scott Davis recently asked the City Council for clarification about those two cost estimates. He argues the airport can be maintained within its existing footprint as a small utility airport for much less.

"They're not telling the public the truth," Davis said about the statements. "Even some of you council members have said it will cost $2 million. Are you telling taxpayers a bogus cost figure? Do you know the figure? It's not $2 million. Not even close."

Hangar leases and the lease with fixed-base operator Red Eagle Aviation will require Kalispell to keep its airport open and adequately maintained for years to come. The only other option is to buy those leases out. That latter cost is estimated at $4.8 million today but will decline as the 20-year leases (with two five-year extension clauses) run their course. Most of the leases were entered back in 2005 and 2006.

Jeff Walla, of Stelling Engineers, estimates that at a bare minimum the airport's pavements will need to be resurfaced within four or five years. Walla estimates that will cost anywhere from $1 million to $1.4 million. And if pavements are going to last 15 to 20 years, they should be fog and crack sealed every five to seven years at an estimated cost of about $150,000.

While some people question if an expanded and realigned city airport could support itself even with the federal Airport Improvement Program providing up to $150,000 a year for maintenance, other people question if Kalispell can turn down the program's support and somehow increase airport user fees or lease revenues or reduce management costs to raise enough money to sustain the airport locally.

Some people say they are optimistic the city can and is better off trying to do just that.

Other people say they have serious doubts.

Kalispell recently issued a request for proposals to see if it can reduce its $48,000 a year in airport management costs to free up more money for maintenance work.

Two businesses submitted management proposals by the Friday, Oct. 11 deadline. But city officials are yet to review or consider them.

However the airport vote turns out in an otherwise quiet election year with only one actively contested City Council seat, Kalispell City Attorney Charlie Harball said he sees strong public interest in the airport issue and thinks some good questions are being raised.

"Is there an economic benefit to having a municipal airport? Does it have to be here? How is it funded? Do we want federal funds or do we not want them? Can we do it on our own? I think those are all good questions to explore," Harball said.

"If somebody is well-informed and votes for or against, I don't fault either outcome. I'm sure they can take a set of good facts that come to either conclusion. It just depends on what your philosophy is."

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Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at [email protected].

Copyright 2013 - Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, Mont.