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Granite County airport board adopts bylaws, splits on recommendation for expiring aviation funds
Summary
The board voted to adopt bylaws and debated two requests for expiring entitlements; a motion recommending funds go to a Ravalli County/Hamilton project failed on a 2‑2 split and the board will forward a divided recommendation to the commissioners.
The Granite County Airport Board approved updated bylaws on June 17 and later split 2‑2 on a recommendation about which party should receive expiring airport entitlement funds that must be used before fiscal year end.
Board action and context: Members unanimously moved to approve the board bylaws as presented; Jim asked that the bylaws be forwarded to the county commissioners and to Blaine Bradshaw (the county’s legal representative referenced in the meeting). The bylaws vote was taken by voice and passed.
Transfer of expiring entitlements: The board discussed an email from Nathan (last name recorded variously as Schraw/Schrott/Schott) seeking to transfer an entitlement to Plentywood. Board members contrasted that late submission with a more developed request tied to a Ravalli County / Hamilton firefighting‑access project presented earlier by an engineer associated with RPA (a consulting firm referenced in the discussion). One member said the Plentywood correspondence “tells us nothing,” while others said the commissioners should decide if the board could not reach consensus.
Motion and vote: Eric moved (and another member seconded) to recommend the commissioners transfer the entitlement to the Ravalli County/Hamilton project, citing its explicit firefighting access purpose. The board split two in favor and two opposed, so the motion failed. Members agreed to forward the tie and the underlying materials to the commissioners, noting the split vote and recommending the commissioners make the final determination before the entitlement expires on Sept. 30.
Why it matters: The entitlements are time‑limited and appear small relative to runway repair needs (board members said the pool of expiring funds was less than $50,000). Even small transfers can affect safety and operations at small airports; the board emphasized the need to circulate documentation in advance so members can compare projects and advise the commissioners.
Next steps: The board will forward the correspondence and minutes (including dissenting opinions) to county commissioners so they may make the final allocation decision. Members asked staff to ensure all board members receive and review competing proposals before the next meeting.
