The Broadwater County Airport Board discussed whether to acquire a municipal-grade snow plow and build a heated storage building after consultant Lance of Robert Pesha & Associates presented cost estimates and a grant timetable.

Lance told the board the combined estimate for acquisition and the building was about $1,070,000, with a typical 5% local share of roughly $50,000 and grant applications to Montana Aeronautics due Nov. 15. "The first kind of hurdle is the Montana Aeronautics grant loan applications, where we would request the estimated 5% share. Those applications are due November 15," Lance said.

Why it matters: Board members weighed keeping the airport operable for emergency flights and expected growth from new hangars against the effect of spending entitlement and CIP funds on other projects, notably wildlife fencing and terminal-area improvements.

The board reviewed funding mechanics and timing. Lance said the airport’s CIP shows about $752,000 available that would cover the federal (95%) portion, but that the 5% local share must come from the airport’s cash account. "No. That $7.52 is federal grant money. So that's what's going into the 95% portion. The 5% has to come out of your own account," Lance said. He also explained that if the airport goes forward and needs more federal grant dollars, it can borrow entitlement/grant opportunity from other airports and repay them with future entitlements.

Board members expressed mixed views. One member said clearing the runway quickly matters for potential air ambulance operations; another urged caution because committing the project would likely push wildlife fencing and other CIP items out three to five years. The airport manager advised watching how county snow response performs this winter before committing county funds.

No formal motion to proceed with the plow and building was brought to a vote. After discussion the board decided to wait at least one year before committing to the project and to keep the airport’s FAA entitlement funds available. Lance said he could prepare an application without charging the board for initial work, but warned that if the board approved and then pulled back after the grants started being used, there would be a roughly two-month window before design and grant expenditures made cancellation costly.

Clarifying details from the meeting: the consultant’s estimate listed a $370,000 price for the plow and $700,000 for a two-bay heated, insulated storage building; the typical 5% local share would be about $50,000; Montana Aeronautics loan/grant applications were noted as due Nov. 15; the airport’s CIP balance discussed in the meeting was described as $751,832.46 (federal grant entitlement funds), while local cash to cover the 5% would come from the airport cash account.

Looking ahead: the board left the entitlement funds to carry forward and agreed to revisit the question after monitoring county snow response and short-term operations. Lance said the grant money that is specifically entitled to Broadwater County Airport will carry forward so the board would not lose the entitlement by deferring a year.