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Daggett County commissioners debate airport upkeep, FAA NOTAM authority and grant match costs
Summary
At the April 22 Daggett County Commission meeting, commissioners and local officials discussed formalizing who can close the county airports under FAA procedures, a monthly inspection schedule, development of an airport operations plan and the local match required for a multi‑million dollar improvement project.
Daggett County commissioners, county staff and local stakeholders discussed airport operations, maintenance costs and FAA notification procedures during the commission meeting on April 22 at the Daggett County Courthouse.
The discussion centered on an FAA authorization form that would identify who may issue a NOTAM (notice to airmen) to close county airports in emergencies or hazardous conditions. Jesse, who participants identified as the staff member who proposed the change, said the county should allow a single dispatcher or a short list of authorized people to file the NOTAM so one contact would close the airport when needed rather than relying on multiple agencies to act independently. "Ideally... the dispatch, the sheriff, the comp road crew, the fire department, anybody that's involved could call dispatcher, and she would be the one that puts out [a NOTAM] that the airport is closed," Jesse said.
Why it matters: Commissioners and public-safety officials said clarifying who issues NOTAMs would simplify emergency responses for fires, accidents and other hazards. The county also faces recurring maintenance and preservation costs for airport lighting and pavements; participants said those costs and the county’s share of grant-funded upgrades require close review before committing to more upgrades.
Participants said the county should take several near-term steps. Kent Bond and other participants urged the commission to (1) complete and submit the FAA authorization form naming authorized closures, (2) develop and document a monthly runway and lighting inspection schedule for liability and maintenance records, and (3) finish an airport operations plan that sets inspection standards and longer-term priorities.
Commissioner AC said the intent of past upgrades "is to make it more usable for emergency services." Several speakers acknowledged that the airport has more navigational and lighting equipment than some nearby facilities and that those systems increase maintenance costs. One participant said a planned improvement shown in grant documents totals about $3.5 million and carries an expected county match of about $350,000; pavement preservation this year was described in the meeting materials as a roughly $250,000 project with an estimated county share "about $20,000," according to participants.
Speakers also debated how much routine aviation traffic the airports actually attract. Multiple participants said many flights are touch-and-go practice runs and that overnight stays are rare. Participants proposed tracking operations or renting hangar lots to generate tax revenue and offset maintenance costs if the county wishes to expand airport use. "If it helps offset the expense of maintaining that airport and keeping that airport open... I think it's a good thing to have the airport," one participant said when discussing hangar leases and tax revenue.
County emergency-response personnel noted changes in helicopter availability for medical evacuations and that fixed-wing aeromedical transfers may add time when multiple ground transfers are needed. Several speakers said the county should consider realistic rescue and medevac scenarios when deciding how much to invest.
Directives and next steps recorded during the discussion included drafting the FAA authorization form with a short list of authorized callers, creating a monthly inspection checklist to be documented, and completing an airport operations plan that will set inspection intervals and identify longer-term preservation needs.
Votes at a glance: - Motion to go in and out of the RDA agenda: motion and second recorded; approved by voice vote. (Unanimous voice vote recorded.) - Motion to approve Daggett County Commission and RDA minutes from April 15, 2025: motion and second recorded; approved by voice vote. (Unanimous voice vote recorded.) - Motion to approve Daggett County Commission and RDA minutes from April 8, 2025 (including RDA amendments): motion and second recorded; approved by voice vote. (Unanimous voice vote recorded.)
The county's airport discussion concluded with staff and stakeholders agreeing to provide a proposed authorization roster and inspection/checklist drafts to commissioners for review at a future meeting.
