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Great Falls airport board approves grazing lease, utility extension and customs phone system; forms CBP committee
Summary
At its April 28, 2026 meeting the Great Falls International Airport Authority approved a Prinzing grazing lease, a Light Industrial Utility Extension budget revision and bid acceptance, and voted 3–2 to buy a Customs phone system while creating a CBP committee. Staff reported a generally clean FAA Part 139 inspection and ongoing lease talks with Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Co.
The Great Falls International Airport Authority on April 28 approved a series of routine and project-specific items, including a grazing lease, utility-extension budget revisions and bids, and the purchase of a Customs phone system in a split vote.
Chair Liz Whiting called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. and the board unanimously approved the Consent Agenda, which included March minutes, payroll checks totaling $115,965.41, maintenance and operations checks #29604–#29669 totaling $947,636.55, passenger facility charges of $68,874.73 and the March financial reports. Commissioner Terry Thompson moved to approve the consent items and Commissioner Rod Hall seconded; the motion passed unanimously.
In the director’s report, staff reviewed March financials and construction updates and said they are finalizing cost figures for a prospective lease with Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Co., with lease terms expected to be presented to the board in the coming weeks. Staff also said they are working with Avmax to replace the concrete hangar roof through airport financing structured as a 30‑year lease to be returned to the board for approval. The airport’s FAA Part 139 inspection was reported as largely positive, with a few required changes to the Airport Certification Manual and some taxi‑lane lights needing repair. Staff said discussions with the City over Airport Avenue B remain at an impasse and that staff will meet with landowners to try to move those discussions forward. Staff also noted nine accepted airline meetings at the Jump Start conference in June to discuss service for Great Falls (GTF).
Under general business the board approved the Prinzing Grazing Lease. Commissioner Terry Thompson moved to approve the lease, Commissioner Rod Hall seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
The board also approved a budget revision for the Light Industrial Utility Extension project and accepted bids for that same project. Commissioner Sean Hoven moved to approve the budget revision with Commissioner David Smith seconding; the board voted unanimously. Commissioner Rod Hall moved to accept the Light Industrial Utility Extension bids, Commissioner Sean Hoven seconded, and the bids were accepted unanimously.
On the purchase of a Customs phone system, Commissioner Sean Hoven moved and Commissioner Rod Hall seconded approval. The motion passed 3–2, with Commissioners Hall, Hoven and Chair Whiting voting for the purchase and Commissioners Thompson and Smith voting against it. After the vote, Chair Whiting announced creation of a CBP Committee and appointed herself, Commissioner Terry Thompson and Commissioner Swathwood to the committee.
No board or public comments were recorded. The minutes were signed by Chair Liz Whiting and Secretary John Faulkner.
Actions taken at the meeting will proceed to implementation steps as required by staff reports or future agenda items; the board did not record a specific adjournment time in the text provided.
