Port retreat nets plans for growth

Manager expects construction, consultants for air service

MOSES LAKE — Air service and construction growth are on the Port of Moses Lake agenda after its annual retreat.

Held at Big Bend Community College's ATEC Building Nov. 30-31, the retreat offered a review of the port district's activities in 2006, and goals for upcoming years, said Executive Manager Craig Baldwin.

The port uses the meeting to propose its preliminary budget to commissioners. After they approve it, the budget is published for public review before adoption. The port adopts the budget at its Nov. 27 meeting.

Baldwin said the retreat covered plans for growth and determining what properties would work for construction.

"We know right now that we're about 95 to 97 percent occupied with the buildings the port owns, so you kind of need to start looking at constructing new buildings," he said. "So we talked about what that picture might look like, where we might be building those buildings."

The port also talked about air service and cargo facilities. The port would like to offer air cargo, and has visited an airport in Taiwan to discuss the possibility, Baldwin said, so the retreat included discussion of the district's infrastructure needs and what it would take to offer that service.

"I think we'll probably see construction of a couple warehouses this year," Baldwin said.

The port also plans rehabilitation work on a taxiway and some electrical work.

The port continues efforts to bring in air service, after the termination of its Essential Air Service federal subsidy earlier this year. Air carrier Big Sky Airlines ceased flights in September.

Baldwin said the loss of the air service impacts the port's budget.

"We lose the revenues that were generated from the air carrier being here," he said. "Of course, some of the expenditures go down as well, so it kind of offsets it."

One of the biggest losses, Baldwin said, is the port's federal grant programs, used for construction projects, have always been based on passenger numbers. The port's entitlement is now $150,000 per year, down from the several million dollars in grants the port is used to receiving, he explained. The taxiway project was already in the works for 2007, so the port should get the $2.5 million grants from the state's discretionary funds.

Finding an air carrier is still a priority for the port, he added.

"We're kind of looking at what the next phase of that needs to be, possibly working with some consultants to help the community, together, tie in to what needs to take place in order to go to that next step," Baldwin said.