Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Airports Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sandpoint Airport maintenance contract reduced after FAA decommissioning; county approves $6,400 annual agreement
Summary
Bonner County authorized a one-year maintenance contract for remaining ground-based navigational aids at Sandpoint Airport for $6,400 after the FAA decommissioned two obsolete aids in 2024, reducing prior annual costs from about $30,000.
The Bonner County Board of Commissioners approved a one-year maintenance agreement for automated weather and ground-based navigational aids at Sandpoint Airport, at an annual cost of $6,400.
Dave Shook, Sandpoint Airport manager, told the board the Federal Aviation Administration decommissioned two ground-based navigational aids in 2024 as the national airspace system shifts to GPS-based approaches. Shook said the decommissioning reduced the airport’s prior navigational-maintenance costs from about $30,000 per year to roughly $6,400.
Shook described the automated weather observation system (AWOS) and other remaining aids as important safety tools for pilots arriving at and departing from Sandpoint Airport. He said AWOS broadcasts real-time weather conditions locally and integrates with the national weather system, providing pilots with airport-specific information within about a 10-mile radius.
Auditing, risk and legal staff reviewed the agreement and cleared it for execution; the board approved the contract and the chair signed administratively.
The contract term covers January 1–December 31 of the stated year and is funded within the airport’s operating budget, according to staff comments.
