Bluff town officials and volunteer managers discussed at a work session whether the town should convert highly technical appointed roles — specifically the sea-roads manager and the airport manager — from unpaid volunteer positions into paid roles and how to staff and fund a major runway rebuild.

The discussion matters because Bluff faces a multi-year capital need at its airport and continuing technical demands for road maintenance. Jim, Bluff’s airport manager (volunteer), told council members that the airport will need a full rebuild in four to five years and estimated the project at about $2,000,000. “We have to rebuild the airport. ... It’s a $2,000,000 project,” Jim said, adding that “the state and feds are going to pay 90% of it, I think, something like that.”

Why it matters: A federally and state-supported runway project would still leave the town responsible for the remaining share of construction and ongoing maintenance. That cost — discussed in the meeting as roughly $200,000 if the $2 million estimate holds and the town is responsible for 10% — would require the town to budget or find matching funds. The airport sits on leased Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and is subject to lease and landlord approvals for changes such as new hangars or a helipad.

Most important facts first: Jim said the airport is leased BLM land that the town manages; the town must meet inspection and reporting requirements tied to FAA oversight and to qualify for state and federal grant funding. Jim also described current operations: three hangar tenants occupying four spaces, occasional visiting aircraft, and annual inspections of runway condition. He said the town’s engineer and outside consultants have helped with technical reports and grant paperwork.

Roads and airport roles: Michael, who currently performs the sea-roads management work as a volunteer, said last summer’s Rhodes manual gives a detailed breakdown of road-management tasks and that the town could pay a replacement from the class C roads fund. “You’d be able to pay someone my replacement at a C road fund,” Michael said. Meeting participants discussed two-tier staffing: (1) day-to-day labor or facilities duties — mowing, changing windsocks, general maintenance — that could be contracted or assigned to a facilities/custodial role or 1099 contractor; and (2) a managerial technical role to handle budgeting, capital planning, grant applications, inspections and intergovernmental coordination.

Time and pay: Participants gave rough estimates for time and pay during the discussion. Michael reported that the roads role could average about 24 hours a month depending on season. Jim estimated a lower hands-on maintenance time for the airport (mowing twice a year and periodic checks) and suggested the manager role would involve more ongoing coordination. The council discussed wage references: UDOT ranges for some transportation roles were cited in the meeting (an entry-level transportation technician figure near $21.36/hour up to higher engineering pay), and a $22/hour figure was suggested as a possible starting point for an entry-level town manager role. For simple maintenance labor, participants discussed a lower hourly rate (about $15.20/hour) or a higher rate (~$30.40/hour) if the worker uses their own equipment; those numbers were offered as illustrations during the meeting.

Funding and governance constraints: Council members emphasized that payments for road work must come from the class C roads fund if the duties are restricted to roads, and not from the town’s general fund. The airport’s lease with the BLM constrains changes such as new hangars or a helicopter pad; any expansion or private hangar construction would require landlord approval and a formal application to the BLM. Jim and others noted that if the town stopped managing the airport, a different entity could assume control but the town would forfeit federal and state grant eligibility tied to an active public owner/operator.

Next steps and assignments: No formal decisions were made at the work session. Council members asked the volunteer managers to document their duties. A council member requested a knowledge-transfer worksheet and asked it be returned by Oct. 14 at 4 p.m.; that worksheet and the manuals being prepared are intended to support hiring, budgeting and transition planning. Participants also discussed pursuing Community Impact Board (CIB) and other grant programs to help secure the town’s matching funds.

Context and caveats: Several participants stressed the limits of Bluff’s volunteer base and the difficulty of attracting certified airport or road management professionals to a small town. Speakers repeatedly framed numbers (the $2 million project cost and the 90% federal/state share) as estimates; the transcript shows the $2 million and 90% figures were presented by Jim as his understanding rather than a guaranteed award. The town’s final obligations and any eligibility for state or federal funds will depend on future grant approvals, inspection outcomes, and formal project appraisals.

What to watch: Council budgeting and any formal proposal to pay or hire replacements for the roads and airport manager roles; CIB or federal grant application outcomes; and the knowledge-transfer documents and operating manuals due back to staff for inclusion in budget planning.