Commission approves submission of five-year airport CIP list, highlights Dutch John and Manila projects

Daggett County commissioners agreed to let staff finalize and submit a five-year airports capital improvements project (CIP) list required by the Utah Department of Aeronautics, staff said, but emphasized that listing projects does not obligate county funds.

The commission’s request for permission came from airport liaison Randy, who told the board that "the Utah Department of Aeronautics requires us the county to submit a capital improvements project list for the next 5 years" and that the list must be submitted this week. He said the submission is a planning document that does not commit county funds.

Why it matters: the CIP will prioritize maintenance and larger runway work that county officials say pilots and aviation users in the area need. Listing projects preserves eligibility for future funding opportunities and signals county intent to potential state or federal partners.

Key details and local projects outlined by staff included pavement preservation at Dutch John Airport, immediate maintenance to remove weeds and grade runway shoulders, and work on the dirt runway’s grading. "The division of aeronautics will not participate in the dirt runway," Randy said, adding the state agency’s primary focus is paved-runway preservation.

Randy identified a weather-station project listed at $212,000 but said the eventual installation "will probably be a lot less than that," noting the county wants to provide pilots with useful conditions without necessarily installing an FAA-recognized system. He also reported a planned runway rehabilitation in 2028 with an estimated cost of "$3,300,000." Commissioners stressed those figures are planning placeholders.

Commissioners and staff discussed crack sealing: whether the county should proceed with a local crack-seal program and which product specs are appropriate for runways versus roads. Randy explained that state participation depends on whether crack sealing is part of a broader pavement-preservation project, and he recommended county staff research appropriate runway-specific materials before proceeding.

Operational and administrative items flagged for follow-up included formally designating an airport manager (Ken Bond had stepped away from that role) and finalizing procedures for routing public inquiries to staff or the county’s airport engineer, Brett Reynolds.

What’s next: Commissioners gave staff informal approval to finalize and submit the CIP list; Randy said he would proceed with submission and follow up on any Division of Aeronautics comments. Any future project that would obligate county funds will return to the commission for formal approval.