Delta County officials move to continue talks on creating airfield operations manager after FAA flags recurring compliance issues

Delta County Board of Commissioners and members of the Delta County Airport Advisory Board discussed a proposed restructuring of airport management after the Federal Aviation Administration raised repeated compliance concerns.

The county administrator told commissioners the FAA provided a decade-long list of recurring compliance issues and requested a more detailed implementation plan. The administrator said she submitted a draft compliance plan and that the FAA found "the bones are good" but said the plan "doesn't go far enough," and asked the county to tighten parts of the proposal.

Why it matters: The FAA singled out Part 139 compliance (the federal standard for certificated airports) and recommended the county designate staff with specific Part 139 expertise and training. Commissioners and advisory board members framed the proposed change as a split of responsibilities so the airport manager can focus on revenue generation and grants while a new airfield operations manager assumes day‑to‑day Part 139 oversight.

Commissioners said personnel and finance committees have drafted a job description for the proposed airfield operations manager and adjusted the airport manager's duties accordingly. County representatives described an estimated gross cost for the reorganization that would initially require drawing on airport reserve/general funds; one figure discussed for the full unoffset cost was about $86,000 per year. The administrator and finance staff identified roughly $47,020 in already‑found funding and pending revenue the manager expects to capture — the staff cited approximately $34,132 in pending recurring revenue and a one‑time $35,463 payment — which could reduce the annual gap to roughly $38,800 if the pending items materialize. Finance staff emphasized the pending revenue is not yet realized.

Several airport advisory board members said they support changes that improve safety and compliance but raised concerns that lowering pay for existing employees or changing roles could prompt experienced staff to leave. One member urged caution on cutting wages for people who recently accepted positions and asked that affected employees be consulted about the changes. Commissioners said the manager and other staff were involved in drafting job descriptions and that personnel and finance committees attempted to account for continuity and staff input.

Administration also reported outreach to other airports for technical assistance: the administrator said she contacted nearby airports and received an offer of assistance from Dan Sale, the Traverse City airport manager, who volunteered to visit and walk the airfield with county staff to provide guidance. The administrator said she also reviewed a continuity plan provided by the previous airport manager.

Advisory members pressed the county on prior issues with Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) recovery and whether contracted consultants had fulfilled obligations; members said unresolved PFC work has cost the airport significant revenue over years and asked whether the county should pursue legal remedies.

Facing time constraints, commissioners voted to work with the airport advisory board to schedule a joint meeting to continue discussion of duties, job descriptions and wages. Commissioners said the job descriptions are in board packets and asked advisory members to submit comments prior to the next session.

The administrator and county finance staff repeatedly emphasized that some of the revenue offsets are pending and not guaranteed and that hiring a qualified candidate for a new operations role could take months. The board did not finalize salaries or make a binding hire at this meeting; it recorded the discussion and set a follow-up meeting to resolve open items.

Quotes: The administrator said of the FAA review, "The bones are good. We're supportive of it. However, it doesn't go far enough," and that FAA staff wanted the county to "pinpoint some of the issues" the agency felt needed attention. A commissioner summarized the FAA message: "the FAA is saying enough is enough, and you need to do this."

Next steps: Commissioners directed staff to take advisory board input, finalize job descriptions and bring salary and funding options to a future meeting. The board scheduled a follow-up joint meeting with the advisory board to continue discussion. No final vote on job descriptions or salaries occurred at this meeting.