County approves line-of-credit to Border Coast Regional Airport Authority with contract edits

Del Norte County supervisors voted unanimously to approve a line of credit to the Border Coast Regional Airport Authority and directed staff to correct contract language and authorize the chair to sign the agreement on the county's behalf. The board approved the action after supervisors requested specific wording changes to clarify responsibility for outstanding balances and county disbursement obligations.

The change the board asked for would replace an equality-based repayment phrase with language that makes the airport authority responsible for “fully fund[ing] any outstanding loan balance,” according to Supervisor Starkey. The board also added an explicit clause stating the county is not obligated to make future disbursements under the line-of-credit agreement and authorized the chair to execute the document on the county's behalf.

Supervisors discussed the item during general government business. Supervisor Starkey recommended two textual corrections to the draft agreement: one to make the airport authority, not the county, responsible for full repayment if a balance remains; and a second to clarify that the county will not be required to make future disbursements under the line of credit. Supervisor Starkey moved approval with those edits; Supervisor Howard seconded. The county administrative officer asked that the motion also explicitly authorize the chair to sign the amended agreement; the board amended the motion to add that authorization and voted.

County staff and multiple public commenters noted operational and revenue challenges at the airport, saying the authority has struggled to cover operating costs and to attract sufficient passenger traffic. Commenters urged longer-term strategies—such as attracting a regional carrier, increasing enplanements, or runway improvements—rather than repeated short-term county support. The board did not adopt additional conditions beyond the contract wording revisions and the chair's signing authority.

The motion passed on a recorded vote with Supervisors Starkey, Wilson, Howard and Chair Borges voting yes. The final signed agreement will reflect the revised repayment language and the county's non-obligation to future disbursements as directed by the board.

Next steps: county staff will update the draft agreement to reflect the board's language changes, add the clause authorizing the chair to sign, and present the final document for signature and implementation.