Port says no: Municipal Airport in Moses Lake will not change management from city to port.

MOSES LAKE — Port of Moses Lake commissioners have declined a proposal from the city of Moses Lake to assume control of the Moses Lake Municipal Airport. Port commissioners suggested forming an airport district as an alternative.

Port Commissioner Stroud Kunkle said Monday his research led him to conclude it wouldn’t be practical for the port to assume control.

“For us to do it, it’d be — well, it’d be a money pit,” Kunkel said. “It’s too far away from where all our stuff is, we’re already short maintenance people unless we want them to start working a bunch of overtime, which we don’t. It just didn’t seem to want to work. But I think an airport district would work.”

There are only two airport districts in the state of Washington. The nearest, Grant County Airport District No. 1, is located near Mattawa. The other, King County Airport District No. 1, is located on Vashon Island. 

Moses Lake City Manager Kevin Fuhr talked to port commissioners in November about assuming control of the municipal airport. Fuhr said port officials have experience in running airports, something city officials lacked. Port commissioner Kent Jones said the port’s experience didn’t seem to translate to the municipal airport.

“We manage an airport, but it is not that airport,” Jones said. “What we do is not anything like what that airport over there needs.”

Fuhr said city officials would talk with Moses Lake City Council members about the idea of an airport district and are working on other possibilities as well.

“We’ll look at our other options,” Fuhr said after the commission meeting. 

Commissioner Darrin Jackson recused himself from the discussion and left the room. Jackson owns an aviation business based at the municipal airport, and wanted to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Jones said. Jackson suggested in May that the port take over the municipal airport. 

Moses Lake council members approved a resolution declaring the airport as surplus Nov. 14. 

Jones said he looked at the municipal airport facilities and talked to commissioners from other port districts that operate small airports. 

“I can tell you that I think it’s extremely important that that airport stay there and operate - not to disparage anybody, operate better than it’s been operating more recently,” he said. 

Jones said it was important that the municipal airport remains under the administration of a government agency, whether that was an airport district or something else. 

“If it’s not owned by a government entity, they’re not going to have access someday to state and federal money to do the repavement (of the runway), whatever those big dollar (projects) are, that our state and federal governments are set up to handle,” Jones said. 

While the port commissioners don’t want to take over the administration, Jones said they’re willing to work with the city to find a solution.

“I don’t think it fits for us, but I think there are some things that we can do to help get it on the right track,” he said. 

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.