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Airport manager updates council on fuel sales, layout plan and grant-seeking; council asks for revenue breakout
Summary
The airport update covered an airport layout plan under negotiation, ongoing grant applications for runway widening and lighting replacement, fuel sales reporting and upcoming balloon festival; the airport representative said fuel sells at about $1 margin per gallon and requested continued grant support.
Goldendale council received an airport update that covered an adopted layout plan in progress, grant strategy for runway widening and light replacement, the status of fuel sales and plans for hangars and events.
Richard Lending (airport representative) told the council the city has an airport layout plan it would like to adopt and that staff and volunteers are negotiating with property owners to secure the necessary land and easements. Lending said the city is pursuing grant funding for runway widening (broken into phases to match Washington State Department of Transportation grant limits), replacement of aging lighting and navigation equipment, and a potential automated weather observing system.
Why it matters: Lending said the airport provides economic-development opportunities and emergency-service value (including Life Flight and DNR mobilizations). Councilmembers asked the airport team to provide clearer revenue versus expenditure detail so the council can see how much, if any, general fund support the airport requires after accounting for fuel sales.
Most important details
• Fuel sales and margins — Lending said he could not provide exact monthly gallons during the presentation but stated, “we make a buck every gallon that goes through that hose.” He also said the system is manageable and that the city updates online flight-planning services monthly with local fuel prices.
• Grants and capital projects — The airport is pursuing phased runway widening grants; WSDOT’s maximum grant size (about $750,000) has driven a strategy to break large projects into smaller grant applications. Lending said the airport has a grant “kit” for an automated weather observation system and is monitoring technology options and costs.
• Aging systems — Lending warned the council that current lighting and approach systems are obsolete and that replacement will be necessary before manufacturers and support disappear; he said the city has applied for or is seeking grant funding for lighting, PAPI approach lights and other systems.
• Hangar and tenant interest — Two parties have expressed interest in building hangars, including one A&P mechanic who could provide local maintenance capacity; Lending said hangar development would likely be privately financed and come with land-lease revenues to the city.
• Events — The airport will host a balloon festival the upcoming month (three mornings of flights), and staff will forward event flyers to the city and chamber for promotion.
Quotes and attribution
“We make a buck every gallon that goes through that hose,” Richard Lending said when asked about airport fuel economics.
“The airport is both an economic development tool, and it's also a safety tool,” Lending said, noting Life Flight and DNR use.
What the council asked and directed
• Discussion: council members asked for a specific airport revenue/expenditure breakout and a clearer statement of how much general fund support the airport requires. They also discussed grant partnerships with DNR and others.
• Directions: staff to prepare a spreadsheet showing airport-specific revenue from fuel sales and airport expenditures (per fund) and email that detail to councilmembers; additionally the airport manager will forward balloon-festival materials to the chamber and city for promotion.
Context and next steps
Lending said the airport team will continue pursuing phased grant applications, investigate an automated weather-observing system after an October conference, and work on ordinances to allow temporary and monthly tie-down fees and land leases for hangars. He asked council support, including limited city funds, where those investments would leverage larger grant matches.
Ending note
Councilmembers expressed support for grant-seeking and asked for the requested revenue/expenditure breakout so they can evaluate any short-term general-fund support requests. The airport confirmed a balloon festival scheduled for the second weekend of the coming month and pledged to provide promotional materials.
