Bonner County weighs $150,000 cash‑flow match, capital fund and $40,000 survey to advance airport projects

Bonner County officials and airport director Dave Schuck discussed steps to accelerate development and maintenance at Sandpoint and Priest River airports, including hiring a surveyor for new lease lots at Sandpoint, creating a capital improvement account to earn interest, and increasing the county match to cover upfront costs for FAA grants.

Director Dave Schuck told the Board that Sandpoint leased two lots during the past year "we did lease 2 more lots, this past year," and that he expects the county could lease six additional lots in the southeast corner once the parcels are surveyed and legally described. He estimated the survey work at "about $40,000" and said the six developed lots would produce roughly "$60,000 a year once we have those leased." Schuck also said the individual lease payments for new lots would likely be "in the neighborhood of $4,000 a year, give or take, maybe $5,000 a year," while noting that the bigger cost to tenants is construction of hangars, which he described as "probably all of them, million dollar investments, give or take, in the buildings."

The discussion placed a strong emphasis on timing and cash flow. Schuck explained that FAA grants are…