Bonner County accepts FAA AIP grant to finish Priest River airport layout plan

The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted to accept a $57,332 grant from the Federal Aviation AdministrationAirport Improvement Program (AIP) to fund phase three of the Priest River airport layout plan and authorized the chair to sign the grant administratively.

Director Shuck told commissioners the grant "will fund the final phase of the plan and narrative and will include project grant administration facility requirements and alternatives." She said the AIP program covers 95% of the cost and that the county match is $2,866.

The final phase will produce the completed layout plan and a narrative that identifies nonstandard conditions and recommends solutions intended to improve safety at the airport, Director Shuck said. She also said the project includes a project advisory committee made up of airport users and members of the public; that committee's first meeting will be in November, with a follow-up meeting after the start of the new year to review proposed alternatives.

A motion to accept the grant offer and allow administrative signature passed on a roll call vote; the formal motion language on the record was, "Based on the information before us, I move to accept this grant offer and that the chair sign administratively." The motion and second were recorded in the minutes and the vote was recorded on the transcript as approving the grant.

The county auditor, risk, and legal reviewers had approved the offer before it was presented to the board, Director Shuck said. The grant's scope is limited to the ALP update, project administration and analysis of facility alternatives; any future construction or capital work would require separate approvals and funding.

Looking ahead, the county will convene the advisory committee and hold public meetings as part of the ALP process, giving residents and airport users a chance to review alternatives before any design or capital projects proceed.