Airport – June 13, 2023

Meeting Minutes

Boundary County Airport Board Meeting June 13, 2023.

Present: Don Jordan, Pat Gardiner, Rick Durden, Scott Hittle, Mark Weber, Jay Wages and Trey Dail.

Airport Manager: Dave Parker

The meeting was called to order at 5:35 PM by Jay Wages.

Pat Gardiner moved acceptance of the minutes of the May meeting, Mark Weber seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

Old Business

Environmental Assessment—Update

Trey Dail reported that it has been submitted in full and we are awaiting FAA final review. Once that is done, it will go out for public comment.

Review of Slope Stabilization

Trey Dail reported that the contract has not yet been awarded as we are working on construction easement offer letters. We’re also waiting on FAA approval and then will have a notice of award of the construction contract.

North Bench Fire Land Lease

Dave Parker reported that the consultant who evaluated the fair market value of airport property currently occupied by North Bench fire house is ten cents per square feet. This is less than the hangar lease rate on the airport (15 cents per square foot) and land used for aviation purposes is normally leased at something below “fair market value.” The amount of land is 150 by 150 feet. As it is a non-aviation use, any lease should be for a much shorter term than for an aviation use.

Don Jordan moved that the Airport Board recommend to the County Commission that it lease the 150 X 150 foot plot of land to the North Bench Fire Department for a maximum of five years and at least 15 cents to match hangar rates. Rick Durden seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. The information will now be forwarded to the County attorney.

Hangar Construction Update

Dave Parker reported that Kambiz Kamiab’s 90 X 32 hangar is up, awaiting doors and pouring the concrete apron to connect it to the taxiway.

David Byler’s hangar slab has been poured, next step is the building.

Same Testa want to make his hangar slightly bigger—concrete pouring is scheduled for tomorrow.

Kramer 70 X 80 hangar is going up.

Snow Removal Equipment Building Update

Dave Parker reported that the two lean-tos attached to the SRE building are nearly complete— there are only a few pieces of metal to be installed.

Idaho First Grant Update

Dave Parker said that he is waiting for the bill for the SRE lean-tos, which will finish up the grant and it can be closed.

Update on Cleaning Southwest Corner of Airport Property

Dave Parker reported that he and his team have cleaned up an extensive area of heavy trash on the airport side of the fence, including a truckload of concrete, a pickup load of metal and band saw blades dumped in the area by Caribou Creek despite it never being their land. He has told Caribou Creek to clean up the trash/debris that is on airport property on its side of the fence, but they have taken no action. He is exploring methods of compelling compliance.

Once the area is cleaned up, fence post will be installed on the airport property line.

Review CIP (Capital Improvement Projects) for 2023 and 2024

Trey Dail provided a diagram exhibit (attached) with actual numbers for construction of the desired airport improvements including runway and taxiway improvement and extension from ab meeting that Dave Parker had with the FAA. He noted that we needed a phased approach to the project. The diagram is attached below as a part of these minutes. It is consistent with the current Airport Master Plan.

There was extensive discussion regarding the plan and the overall cost as well as methods of keeping the cost down by amending or deleting some of the phases while meeting overall goals of a renovated and extended runway—if the runway is not extended, there will need to be a displaced threshold on the north end, reducing the available runway for landings to the south by some 600 feet.

Rick Durden moved that the CIP be approved as drafted and that Trey Dial be encouraged to look at options that can be safely eliminated. Pat Gardner seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Projects

There was a discussion regarding to what uses such BIL money as may become available may be put. It does not include the planned runway extension, however, it would be possible to use it for the planning and development of the new instrument approach that will be necessary after changes to the runway as well as land acquisition.

Hangar C-2 Is For Sale

Dave Parker reported that a reported sale is not a done deal. If it does go through, it would involve an assignment of the current lease. Don Jordan moved that if the lease is assigned that the lease rate go to 15 cents per square foot to match other hangar land lease rates. Rick Durden seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

Old Hangars

Dave Parker reported that a number of hangar land leases will expire this year.
Rick Decarlo, Hangar Q, a pole-built structure.
Lionel Gardner, Hangar B-2, a pole-built structure.
The farm lease.
Richard Little, Hangar R, a pole-built structure.
Northern Air’s Hangar S
Albert Wolf, two hangars, one long, one square
The County Hangar A-frame.
The Board discussed the need to notify the hangar land lease tenants regarding the expiration as soon as possible and that Board members review the condition of the hangars as there are some that are in bad shape and have not been used to store airplanes for some time. It is expected that notice to some of the hangar owners will include notification that the lease will not be renewed and that the hangars will have to come down.

EAA Chapter Activities

Rick Durden reported that our local EAA Chapter 757 held its first Huckleberry Pancake Breakfast in May. It was a success with some 200 people coming for pancakes and approximately $2,000 raised for aviation scholarships.

New Board Member Scott Hittle Was Welcomed to the Board

The meeting was adjourned at 7:07 pm.