Port talks of new air service in Moses Lake
Steps being taken to bring in new airline
MOSES LAKE - Port of Moses Lake commissioners have decided to work with a Eugene, Ore.-based consulting firm on bringing air carrier service back to the Columbia Basin.
Commissioners Kent Jones and Larry Peterson decided during the port district board of commissioners' regular meeting Monday afternoon to approve financing for Mead and Hunt, Inc., to hold a community meeting and an initial airline evaluation.
Mead and Hunt, Inc., were recommended to the port district by the air carrier Alaska Airlines, which is in discussion with the port.
Total cost of the community meeting was estimated at $6,050 and the initial airline evaluation was estimated at $19,205.
The company would get back to the port district with the cost of an analysis of the Moses Lake-Seattle market and additional services, Jones explained.
"We've had some preliminary discussions with anybody that would talk to us," he said of discussions with airlines.
Port manager Craig Baldwin said preliminary discussions continue, much still based on an initial package done on passenger numbers.
"As we've been asking for services and sending that package out, they've come back and said, 'Your passenger numbers look OK, we're interested in trying to figure out a way to provide service,'" he explained.
Baldwin said Alaska Airlines may not be the carrier, but they may find a carrier to share services with them.
"The next step is actually getting the financial commitments from the community, from the port and figuring out what that cost of service would be for the air carrier for let's say three flights a day to Seattle," Baldwin said.
The consulting company performs the financial analysis for the air carrier.
Bill Ecret, Moses Lake city councilmember and a candidate for Port of Moses Lake Commissioner District No. 1, asked the board if such activity were standard and would take place normally for a port district looking for an air carrier.
"It seems to me that would be a job for the port to do or maybe even your association," Ecret said.
Baldwin replied it is standard for each air carrier to ask for something a little different and a standard process for air service.
"The problem is, if the port were to do it, we're guessing what the airline would be looking for," he said. "We don't know the cost of fuel, of the aircraft, those sorts of calculations."
Baldwin said the law allows the port district to write personal services agreements for specific types of purposes without sending out a request for quotations.
"In this case, we are doing a financial assessment for Alaska Airlines and this is the firm Alaska Airlines uses," Baldwin said.
Peterson said the port would normally send out a request for quotations.
"I think if the dollars were bigger or if the people we're hoping to provide us air service didn't have any recommendations, but … if this is the information they want provided, as long as we can do that legally and real numbers, I think that's what we need to do," Jones said.
A community meeting is tentatively set for Sept. 21. Jones was not certain how the meeting would be conducted, nor whether the consultants would allow media at the meeting.
"It's not a public hearing to see whether or not people like it, don't like it," he said. "It's a working group which is going to be helpful in making this thing work."
Baldwin said the meeting is a working committee meeting comprised of 12 to 15 people including representatives of the City of Moses Lake, the City of Ephrata, Grant County, the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, TransCo, Grant County Public Utilities District, the Grant County Economic Development Council and business community members, including Genie Industries and REC Silicon.
The board meeting Monday was rescheduled from 2 p.m. to about 3:30 p.m. due to use of the conference room by the Washington Public Ports Association from noon to 3 p.m.
Commissioner candidate Mike Conley was also present at the meeting. Commissioner Delone Krueger was absent.