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Airport director says federal funding cleared; RFQ for tower services and USFS tanker base planning underway
Summary
Airport Director Gaston Patterson told commissioners Feb. 4 that a recent federal funding pause will not affect approved grants, the county will issue an RFQ for tower services with 6- and 12-month options, and the U.S. Forest Service is exploring a larger tanker base at the airport; an airshow and hangar development plans were also discussed.
Gaston Patterson, Kootenai County airport director, told the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 4 that a brief federal funding pause has been resolved and approved federal and state grants for airport projects remain available.
Patterson said the Federal Aviation Administration and state partners confirmed the airport's access to the Delphi grants system has been restored and that four recent reimbursement requests he submitted were approved. "Everything is in the clear now," Patterson told commissioners.
Patterson said the airport will present a request for qualifications (RFQ) for contract tower services at a future business meeting. The RFQ will solicit the same contract-tower providers that serve other airports, with two bidding schedules: the six-month seasonal schedule the airport used last year (May'October) and a full 12-month option. Patterson said the county budget already includes funding for controllers.
If the county moves to a 12-month staffed tower, Patterson said the airport's airspace designation would change from Class E (uncontrolled except when the tower is closed) to Class D while the tower operates, which would increase the airport's visibility on aeronautical charts and change procedures for inbound pilots.
Patterson discussed the FAA's contract tower program and said there is a possibility the FAA could supply controllers if the airport meets certain requirements; he noted the airport's existing tower structure reduces some facility requirements and may speed that process. He told commissioners a full FAA-spec tower could cost roughly $20,000,000 if built to standard FAA specifications.
Patterson also reported an early-stage proposal from the U.S. Forest Service to base larger airtankers at the airport. He said the forest-service plan could involve the county leasing property and either the forest service or a developer constructing the facility under a long-term (about 50-year) lease. Patterson said the new base would expand fueling/retardant-loading capacity from two active ports to four and could shorten aircraft turnaround times from the roughly 15'20 minutes he described now to under 10 minutes, improving wildfire response efficiency in the region.
Other items Patterson raised included a potential community airshow being planned by Coeur d'Alene Aviation targeted for June 28 and airport efforts to develop additional hangar lots and make the hangar wait list transparent on the airport website.
Patterson said staff would continue work on grant reimbursements, the RFQ, and coordination with the Forest Service and that he would provide updates as items moved forward.
