Eckels reflectionsAirport Information Meeting Reflections
By Steve Eckels
619 Second Ave. W.
Kalispell, MT
I would like to compliment Mayor Pam Kennedy and City Manager Jane
Howington for hosting an information-gathering meeting regarding the
Kalispell City Airport. There was one oddity. During the afternoon
preceding the event, I talked with the facilitator about my concern that
speakers provide their residential addresses. My concern was based on
the fact that many aviators at council meetings give their business
address and we don’t really know if they live in Kalispell or not. He
assured me directly that it was “proper” City Council procedure to
present your residential address when speaking. In fact, he gave me a
case history of another city issue in which those speaking were required
to do so.
I was unpleasantly surprised then at the beginning of the meeting when
he stated that the rules were changed and people would not be required
to give their addresses. When I asked him what had changed since our
conversation he said, and I quote, “someone in power told me that this
is the way it would be done.” To make the story even more interesting
he said he was not permitted to tell me who. Frankly, I felt as though
I were taking part in a John Grisham novel. The truth can be stranger
than fiction. Folks, this is an example though of how those in power
lose the trust of the citizens. In one breath, the facilitator
announced that they wanted as transparent process as possible and in the
next breath, he stated that speakers did not have to reveal their town
of residence, and there was a mysterious invisible power that controlled
his actions. Wow. You may have noticed in the Daily Interlake report
there were no addresses.
The concern of course is that out of town folks are having an
inappropriate influence on a local matter.
The public might like to know that pilots are worried that the airport
might “go away”. I am not sure why they fear this. They probably know
more than I do about various pressures the airport faces. There was
also lots of concern about the facts and information that is available
to folks to help them make a decision.
To help our city government make an informed decision I have drafted a
survey and have asked for answers. I feel that our local citizens might
like to know this information too before spending millions of dollars of
government money. I hope these questions are relevant and useful to our
community. I depend on aviation and admire pilots, so please do not
take this editorial as a complaint. It is based on my concerns that
things are done carefully, responsibly, and with the best interest of
the greatest number of people in mind.
At the end of this editorial is a copy of the six citizen assurances
that we have presented the city and federal government. As I told the
assembly at the meeting, I personally am all for airport expansion if
they can meet and guarantee these assurance in writing and with factual
documentation. You should know that the federal government has rejected
these assurances. According to our city attorney, the city is not able
or willing to sign the assurances at this time. First, I will present
the user survey and then the “public assurances.”
First the survey:
City Airport Informational Survey
1. Number of year-round Kalispell residents who use the city airport:
A. Business
Names; Addresses
B. Other
Names; Addresses
2. Number of year-round city airport users who are not Kalispell
residents:
A. Business
Names; Addresses
B. Other
Names; Addresses
3. Residential address of owner of our flight training school/fixed
based operation FBO:
4. Estimated revenue that could be generated by charging reasonable
take-off and landing fees to non-residents, tourists, etc.:
5. Names of year round pilots who live in the “airport affected zone”.
Proposed Council Resolution: Public Assurances
This document is a draft Government Resolution that states the city,
county and federal officials are willing to assure the following citizen
protections. The assurances must be supported with factual written
evidence.
The assurances will be signed by the appropriate government officials.
Failure to sign the document means that the city, county and federal
governments are not able to assure these protections.
The City, County and Federal Aviation Administration assures the public:
1. Less noise: The expansion of the airport will result in noise that
is equal to or less than the current amount of noise. The city will
re-draft the “airport affected zone” to reflect the anticipated noise
reduction, before any further steps are taken towards
expansion/realignment.
2. Greater Safety: The expansion of the airport will result in greater
safety to people on the ground.
3. Will not have a negative affect property values: The expansion of
the airport will not have a negative affect on Kalispell’s "charm
factor" or property values.
4. Humanitarian Fund for Accidents: In the event of a crash, the city
and federal government will reimburse people on the ground for damage or
injury. The city will maintain a humanitarian emergency fund for this
purpose. (Since aviation is so safe, why should the city worry about
signing this one? Why should people on the ground be responsible for
accidents caused by the select few that use the airport?)
5. Maintain airport with staff and office, and charge landing and take
off fees to non-residents: The city will generate money from the airport
in the form of reasonable take off and landing fees. The money will be
reinvested in the airport-affected zone to upgrade neighborhoods and to
help flight schools adjust to training operations a Glacier
international or elsewhere. (There is a fee to use the Buffalo Hill
Golf Course. Why should we not charge a fee for the specialized users
of the airport?) There would be a city office and staff person at the
airport to collect fees and answer telephone complaints. The airport
office will be staffed by a city official during airport operations.
6. Restrict or eliminate training flights over city limits: The city
will restrict or eliminate flight training over the city limits,
including helicopters and any touch-and-go flights. Snowmobiles and
cigarette smoking are illegal in public spaces for a reason – the
airspace belongs to the federal government (public). The flight school
may be reimbursed for the inconvenience with revenues generated through
take off and landing fees.
Signatures:
Date: