Delta County board ratifies airport manager terms, ties $5,000 raise to Part 139 training

The Delta County Board of Commissioners on April 24 ratified negotiated terms for the county’s airport manager position, approving an $80,000 starting salary and a $5,000 increase tied to completion of FAA Part 139 training and timing conditions.

The board approved the contract amendment and ratification by roll call after discussion of operational tasks the incoming manager will inherit, including a scheduled FAA inspection in June, a water-rescue triennial exercise planned for September, and an unresolved passenger facility charge (PFC) audit that the Federal Aviation Administration has flagged.

Board Chair (by motion) presented the negotiated package for ratification. Under the approved terms, the employee would begin at $80,000, with the annual salary increasing to $85,000 contingent on (a) completion of the FAA Part 139 course (the board recorded that the training is scheduled for May) and (b) timing tied to either the employee’s notice and county budget timing (the board discussed an October 1, 2025, effective budget date as the preferred date for the increase).

Why it matters: the vote converts the interim airport manager role into a permanent appointment with compensation explicitly tied to aviation-specific training that the FAA recognizes. The board discussed operational and compliance tasks the manager will need to complete quickly, and the contract includes language intended to align the wage increase with demonstrable training completion rather than with mere passage of time.

Operational and compliance items discussed

- FAA inspection: Commissioners and staff said a routine FAA inspection is scheduled for June 5; the board discussed how inspection findings can include minor ‘‘dings’’ such as an expired fire extinguisher or a runway light out and noted the outcome can depend on the inspector. Commissioners emphasized that passing the inspection is not a simple binary and that tying compensation to a ‘‘perfect’’ inspection may be impractical.

- Triennial exercise and water rescue: The board discussed a triennial on-site exercise currently targeted for Sept. 25 and a separate water-rescue tabletop exercise scheduled for late May. Those exercises are part of airport emergency preparedness requirements.

- Passenger Facility Charges (PFC): The airport’s PFC account and related audit questions were discussed at length. Staff told the board the FAA had placed aspects of the county’s PFC program on hold and asked questions that Delta County must answer; some transactions date back to 2011 and the county is gathering hard-copy documentation. The board directed staff and the county’s auditors to prioritize the county’s single financial audit first and then to assist, as time allows, with a PFC review requested by the airport advisory board.

- Security upgrade and badging: Commissioners reviewed the status of a security upgrade project (consultant: Mead & Hunt). Equipment has arrived and much of the wiring is in place, but the new cameras are not yet active. Commissioners and staff discussed implementation work that will remain on the county (hardware, wiring, policy changes, background checks and a new badge/access system) and the need for a formal plan from the consultant and vendor before the county puts the system into service.

Personnel and training

The board and staff discussed training tied to the position: the FAA Part 139 certification, FEMA incident command system classes (ICS 100/200/700/800) and other airport-specific courses. Staff said some training is virtual and can be scheduled flexibly; the board made the $5,000 salary increase conditional on completion of Part 139 and on surviving to the date when the county’s budget can accommodate the increase (the parties discussed Oct. 1 as the practical date for the bump).

Board action and vote

The commission voted to: (1) amend the current administrator contract so the county would not owe a lump-sum payout if the current administrator stepped into the airport manager role sooner than the original 60-day notice period, contingent on the administrator’s written acknowledgement; and (2) ratify the negotiated airport manager terms (start at $80,000, $5,000 increase contingent on Part 139 completion and timing tied to the budget date). Both measures were approved by roll call.

What the board did not decide

The board discussed tying the pay increase to completion of other milestones (FAA inspection, PFC remediation and completion of training beyond Part 139) but ultimately directed that the raise be explicitly contingent on Part 139 completion and on the timing language agreed in the negotiated package.

Ending note

Commissioners and staff stressed the workload the new airport manager inherits — short-term compliance tasks plus longer-term projects such as PFC reconciliation, security implementation and airport marketing or economic development work — and flagged that some items will take months to resolve. The county will monitor progress and receive regular updates from the airport manager and the airport advisory board.