Airport staff detail winter operations, new equipment and FAA grant work for Sandpoint and Priest River

Airport maintenance and management reported operational work and multi-site projects at Sandpoint and Priest River airports during the advisory board meeting.

Dale Lockwood, airport maintenance manager, told the board that limited winter snow this season allowed staff to focus on equipment upgrades and in-house repairs. Lockwood said crews will install new bristles on the broom truck, reuse an older plow blade on a loader to improve runway-edge clearing, and continue to experiment with more versatile loader-based plowing to avoid digging into runway edges. He also reported work on a new pilot-controlled lighting controller, replacement wind sock and repairs to hangar electrical issues and runway lights at Priest River as replacement parts arrive.

The county reported acquisition of a three-axle equipment trailer intended to move loaders and tractors between Sandpoint and Priest River; staff said the new trailer will reduce reliance on borrowed county trailers and improve safety and logistics when shifting equipment between fields.

Airport Manager Dave Shuck outlined FAA grant activity: the county applied for four FAA grants that collectively support three projects. At Priest River, funded work includes a taxi lane and apron expansion project with a tentative notice-to-proceed in mid-March (weather dependent) and a five-day runway closure planned at the start of construction; the project also includes a water-line extension to support future hangars. At Priest River the board heard that the county submitted the Phase 2 GRAMA application to the FAA on January 21 and that the ALP (Airport Layout Plan) inventory chapter has been revised and resubmitted after FAA comments.

At Sandpoint, Shuck said two projects are planned: land and easement acquisition at the south end of the airport to remove trees that intrude into the Runway 2 approach, and a separate obstruction-removal effort on both runway ends. Land acquisitions will require appraisals and purchase-and-sale agreements in a compressed FAA timeline; Shuck told the board the county must have agreements in place with the FAA by June 6 to meet program deadlines. He said an easement previously acquired from the city allows tree removal on some parcels; other tree-removal work may require traffic management on Boyer Avenue while contractors work.

Engineering consultant Corey Sigford said the Priest River taxi lane and apron contract (J7 Contracting) will have a 50-calendar-day construction window after notice to proceed; the firm expects completion in mid-May if weather permits. Sigford said the county included water-line work in the project scope so fire suppression and future hangar development are supported; the project package will go to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for permit review as part of the contract.

Board members asked operational questions about damaged fence lines and tree removal at Priest River, the timing and coordination of water and sewer lines, and the scope of easements and appraisals. Staff said tree removal work on county-owned parcels may be put out to bid and could be farmed out to timber crews for thinning and hazard mitigation this summer. Shuck described ongoing, long-running FAA policy conflicts tied to past county-granted perpetual property rights adjacent to airports; staff are preparing a legal proposal for the County Commissioners to reconcile private property rights and FAA requirements, likely with initial consideration in executive session.

Board members expressed support for the equipment purchases and for keeping the grant and land-acquisition timelines on track; staff said they will return with more detailed schedules and notices to airmen (NOTAMs) when closures or construction windows are firm.

No formal board vote was required for these operational updates; staff requested direction and permission to continue grant processing, land negotiations and contractor procurement.