The Chehalis-Centralia Airport can be the sole property of the city of Chehalis, if the city wants it.
The Lewis County Commission unanimously agreed on Monday morning to transfer its half ownership of the airport to Chehalis, citing concerns about streamlining operations, liability and cost.
It is now up to the Chehalis City Council to accept ownership and make the transfer official.
“We are not needed. All we do is add another layer,” Commissioner Bill Schulte said. “It’s a great airport. I don’t see how it changes if we step back.”
Schulte originally approached Chehalis in January about the county giving up its ownership as a way to streamline operations for the two-part flood mitigation project that is currently underway.
He said doing so would reduce liability and costs.
Since Schulte brought up the idea in January, the Airport Board has opposed it.
The Airport Board, which manages the airport while the city and county own it, released an 18-page report in March that questioned the county’s reasons for transferring ownership and concluded it is not in the best interest of the community or the other parties involved.
Jim Janson, Airport Board Chair, told the County Commission on Monday that the board still disagrees with the ownership transfer.
“I don’t believe abandoning the successful jointly-operated governance model that has existed for decades at the airport is in the best interest of the county and it’s residence,” Janson said.
Janson, who represents the county on the Airport Board, said the board is offering to help operate the Toledo and Packwood airports, also owned by the county. Having the board run the other airports would help negate the county’s streamlining worries, Janson said.
“We do believe functionally consolidating with the county’s other two airports would streamline things for Lewis County and would prove efficient in reducing cost for all parties involved,” Janson said.
Chehalis City Councilor Dennis Dawes, who served on the Airport Board for 12 years, said he does not understand why the Airport Board is getting involved with the ownership discussion.
“When I was a member of the Airport Board it was very clear to me that my duty was to represent the authority that appointed me,” Dawes said. “I did not see it was my position to get involved with the matter of the owners.”
At the County Commission hearing Monday morning, Lewis County Attorney Glenn Carter explained the county’s reasoning for foregoing ownership.
Carter said the airport is already within Chehalis City limits and is regulated by the city for building, land use and other purposes.
“The city has a direct and immediate interest in the airport,” Carter said. “By contrast, the county has no building, land use, zoning or other regulatory responsibilities for the airport.”
Chehalis City Manager Merlin MacReynold said he hopes to have a recommendation for the Chehalis City Council to vote on within a month.
Chehalis has shown interest in taking over sole ownership since talks started earlier this year.
MacReynold and other city staff plan to meet periodically to figure out how the airport will be organized and if the Airport Board will be kept or dissolved.
“Organizationally, how will it function? Will it be a part of another department or be a free-standing department?” MacReynold said. “All of those things have to be worked out and I have to make a recommendation to the City Council.”
If the Chehalis City Council approves the ownership transfer, the city will take over operations on Jan. 1, 2014.
