Muskegon County votes to bring airport staff in-house, approves month-to-month ARFF arrangement

Muskegon County commissioners voted to move airport management and operational staff from a contracted service to county employment and authorized a short-term amendment to continue Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) support while longer-term arrangements are negotiated.

The board approved the transition motion after a discussion of staffing levels and costs, with supporters saying returning the operation to county payroll would improve employee benefits and reduce contractor administrative fees. County officials asked the administrator to establish the necessary positions and adopt the attached staffing and pay plan.

Ken Epping, the airport director, described the ARFF amendment as “an administrative action to really maintain the status quo,” explaining the county’s existing contract with Norton Shores expired and the month-to-month arrangement at $16,002.25 per month preserves emergency services while the county evaluates longer-term options. Epping emphasized the practical value of keeping trained emergency personnel on-site: “When something bad happens, having them 90 seconds away is a huge deal.”

Bob Lukens, the county’s community development director, highlighted the strategic importance of hitting federal service thresholds that unlock FAA funding. Lukens said the airport is pursuing a 10,000 enplanement target because “if we achieve that 10,000 enplanements number, we receive annually over $1,000,000,” funds that can be used for airfield projects.

The board also authorized procurement actions and capital-related contracts for airport facilities, including a solicitation for boiler and HVAC repairs at Hangar 5 and engineering scopes for a fuel‑farm project and runway crack-seal and pavement marking work. County staff said the boiler/HVAC solicitation will let the county administrator select the lowest qualified financial bid to meet timing requirements tied to project schedules.

The motion to transition airport operations passed on a roll-call vote (majority yes; one no recorded). The ARFF amendment and related project authorizations passed on motions recorded during the transportation committee portion of the meeting. The board directed staff to provide a multi-year plan and near-term goals for the airport and scheduled follow-up briefings and an on-site tour.

The board meeting record shows the airport transition discussion and votes occurred during the transportation committee segment; administrators and the airport director will implement the staffing changes and return with implementation details and timelines.