March 20-- Mar. 20--The Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport Authority Board member who previously served as volunteer interim manager no longer has any role with the transportation center.

Chris Clemens submitted a letter of resignation, effective Friday, less than four hours after board members hired Clarence W. "Bill" McKown Jr. as interim manager the week before.

"I was reminded that my goals and vision for the airport align with the remaining board members, but our path forward to achieve them is fundamentally and irreconcilably different," Clemens wrote in the resignation letter to board Chairman Jim Bennett dated March 8.

Clemens was the lone vote on the five-member board against the decision to bring in McKown. He noted the city of Lewiston's $528,000-a-year proposal to run the airport was $50,000 less than having McKown oversee the facility for a year.

The board chose McKown, who started last week, after Clemens declined an offer of $7,000 a month, not counting benefits, to be interim manager. The offer was contingent on Clemens leaving the board. He had served as interim manager for about 3 1/2 months, starting in December, without pay.

Not being involved in the airport will give him more time to run his business, Hamilton's West LLC, in Clarkston, which he recently founded, Clemens wrote.

The business offers a number of services, providing site safety officers, health officers, project managers, quality control personnel and superintendents to contractors doing work for federal agencies. It also does consulting for contractors new to federal jobs and is a commercial and industrial construction contractor.

How the board will seek applicants for the position is not clear. Bennett wasn't available for comment Tuesday.

The person who fills Clemens' seat is selected by the other board members. The Lewiston City Council and the Nez Perce County Commission each pick two members.

The board-member selection process is intended to help balance the interests of the city and county, which own the airport.

Williams may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2261.

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