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Board asks staff to study feasibility of on-site airport manager/administrator
Summary
Board members directed staff and a small ad hoc group to define duties, salary range and budget options for an on-site airport position (manager/maintenance/administrator) and to consult HR, county attorney and Montana Aeronautics before bringing a proposal to the board and county budget process.
Members of the City of Livingston Park County Joint Airport Board agreed Monday to study the possibility of creating a funded, on-site airport position to handle operations, maintenance and administrative tasks that are now performed by volunteers and occasional county staff.
Board member Scott Wolf placed the item as an action to explore a full-time county- or city-funded role to handle duties such as snow removal coordination, grounds maintenance, emergency response and administrative reporting. "I wanted to set it as an action item to explore the possibilities of having a full time person ... to handle all the duties that's been handled by volunteer board and FBO and everybody else," Wolf said in the meeting.
Context: Board members and several public commenters said the airport has grown and that volunteers and contracted businesses have been covering operations. Participants cited recent heavy snow events that required multiple people and pieces of equipment to keep the field open for life flights and transient traffic. Ryan Rhodes, who identified himself as an operations worker, said he was speaking "strictly on the safety of the airport" and asked how to apply for the airport manager role, adding, "I know what needs to be done up there."
Next steps: Board members volunteered to form a working group to define duties and draft a salary range, then consult Park County Human Resources, the county attorney—s office and Montana Aeronautics for guidance on classification (county employee vs. independent contractor), legal obligations and likely salary grades. Paul Lineman and others noted the joint resolution and procurement thresholds (the board cited a $10,000 contractual threshold in their discussion) that constrain how the board can commit county funds. The group agreed to report back so any new position can be considered in the coming fiscal-year budget process.
Why it matters: An on-site position would centralize responsibility for safety-critical tasks and reduce reliance on volunteers; however, legal and budget constraints mean the board must complete a feasibility study and secure county commission approval before any hire.
