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Airport AWOS waits on FAA inspector; runway-extension justification work to continue
Summary
KLJ engineering told commissioners the AWOS install can proceed but the FCC license remains pending; Justin Zindell said runway-extension work needs stronger aircraft-operations forecasting (FAA asking for 500 annual enplanements) and the county will delay land acquisition until forecasts and environmental delineations are clearer.
KLJ engineer Justin Zindell updated the County Commission on Jan. 21 about the airport's automated weather-observing system (AWOS) and plans for a possible runway extension.
Zindell said Mesotech is scheduling commissioning but must coordinate an FAA inspector; the AWOS can be installed and commissioned with the radio off if the Federal Communications Commission license is not yet approved. "If they don't have the FCC license before installation, they can still commission it; they'll just have to shut off the radio until the FCC license is approved and good to go," he said.
On runway extension and land acquisition, Zindell reported FAA planners are now asking for a higher justification threshold (about 500 annual enplanements) to approve expansion. He said KLJ is compiling additional forecasting data'including ag-sprayer operations, firefighting missions and medical flights'to strengthen the case but cautioned that acquiring land before FAA justification could leave the county holding parcels that are difficult to reuse if the FAA denies an extension.
Commissioners asked staff to pursue forecasting updates and reconvene on the topic in about 90 days to see whether the county can meet FAA thresholds before moving forward with land acquisition.
