Airport to get snow plow, building

The local airport’s runways will be kept open in winter with a new snowplow.

Port District 7 commissioners learned Thursday that they will get a new replacement truck with snow plow equipment, plus a building to house it.

A $265,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration will pay for 90 percent of the cost of both projects.

An additional 2.5 percent of the cost could come from the Washington State Department of Transportation’s airport division, and the port district will pick up the final 7.5 percent.

Lisa Corcoran of the port’s engineering firm, USKH of Spokane, reviewed the grant and specifications with port commissioners Thursday.

The grants will enable the port district to add the improvements of the truck and snow plow and the building before next winter sets in.

The port has had to hire some of its snow plowing when necessary for the past couple of winters. Its current 1976 GMC truck has been declared inoperable and beyond repair. Repeated efforts to fix it have been unsuccessful.

Corcoran said that when the projects are advertised for bid the port will be looking at a new truck, with proper snow removal equipment. The FAA truck portion of the grant is for $188,000.

The 35-by-40-foot building to house it will be located near the south corner of the airport property, according to the layout presented to commissioners. The FAA grant covers $77,000 for the building.

An advertisement for bids on the truck and building will be published in April, Corcoran stated.

USKH proposed doing all the design work through the bid process for a fee of $55,410.