Lewiston Airport Board Gives OK to Fiscal Year Budget

The board overseeing the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport decided to postpone installing an advertising sign and replacing a security gate before passing its budget Tuesday for the coming fiscal year.

The airport expects it will spend $1.3 million on maintenance and operations in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, and another $992,000 on capital projects.

It trimmed the items from the budget so that the revenue it received for capital projects would match what the city of Lewiston earmarked for the airport in its budget.

Originally, the airport authority board requested $350,000 from the city for capital projects and another $200,000 for maintenance and operations. That’s the same as what it is seeking from Nez Perce County, which owns the airport jointly with the city.

The county is anticipated to provide the full amount. The city has $250,000 earmarked for capital projects and $200,0000 for maintenance and operations.

The expenditures that were eliminated totaled $117,500 — $80,000 for the sign and $37,500 for the gate.

The extra $17,500 will be added to $795,000 in the capital projects budget for taxi lanes and utilities on the south side of the airport where the transportation hub is developing vacant land for aviation businesses and private hangars to store airplanes.

Even though one gate was cut from the budget, the board still has money to replace three in the upcoming fiscal year.

The gates open and close to allow people with security clearances, including those who own hangars, to drive vehicles into the section of the airport closed to the general public that has access to the taxiways and runways.

Some of the gates are in such poor repair that they get stuck and airport personnel have to be summoned to close them, said Airport Director Michael Isaacs.

After making the final revisions, board members acknowledged they could have done a better job of providing the city of Lewiston information earlier, but said they were pleased with the budget.

“We’ll do (the budget) better next year,” said board member Katie Seekins. “This is a great starting point.”

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

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