AOPA Urges Pilots To Attend Council Meeting

The fate of a small northwestern airport hangs in the balance of a planned vote by the Blaine, WA city council Monday night.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reports the latest threat to Blaine Municipal Airport (4W6) comes on the heels of a 4-3 vote by the council in October 2006 to keep the airport open, and complete several expansion projects included in the airport's master plan.

Unfortunately, says AOPA, the majority of the city council wanted more than $16 million in federal Airport Improvement Program funds all at one time. Those grants are usually meted out over several years -- and the FAA was only able to offer $500,000 this year.

The Northern Light newspaper reports state aviation planner Mary Vargas from the Seattle FSDO sent an email to Blaine city officials, stating the FAA recommended keeping Blaine at its current size instead of going ahead with the planned expansion, as the funding just wasn't available to do everything at once.

In response, council member John Liebert introduced a resolution last month that would strike down the city's hold on the airport master plan --  and set the wheels in motion on an ordinance that, if approved, would close the airport completely by the end of 2008. The proposal was approved by a 4-2 vote.

At a February 18 council meeting, Liebert pushed for members to adopt the bill, despite the absence of one of the council members. Councilman Charlie Hawkins protested that plan.

"I think it’s totally unfair that we would even bring it up," Hawkins said. "Everybody should be here to discuss it, not just cherry picking when someone isn’t here."

"It’s an extremely key vote that deserves the attention of everyone," council member Bonnie Onyon agreed.

The full council is set to vote on the matter February 26. AOPA urges all Washington pilots to attend the meeting, and speak in support of the airport.

FMI: www.ci.blaine.wa.us/page.cfm?PageID=477