Airport snowplow and building funded

Grant County Port District 7 will receive funding for a new truck with snow plow provisions and a steel building to house it in.

Commissioner Jim Keene reported how the Federal Aviation Administration grant is funding most of the of $293,185 project.

The grant will pay 90 percent of the cost of the truck and snow removal equipment, $122,785; with the Washington State Department of Transportation (Aviation) paying 5 percent of the balance, leaving a 5-percent balance of $6,822.

The grant will pay 90 percent of the building cost of $101,347 ($91,212) with the WSDOT paying 5 percent of the balance ($2,770).

Engineering and design costs for the port’s engineering firm, USKH, for the truck project and the 30-foot by 40-foot steel building is $55,410, with the FAA grant paying 90 percent of that cost, $49,869. The WSDOT will pay 5 percent of that cost, leaving a balance of $2,770. Engineering and construction management costs for the building from USKH is $32,092; and design and management cost for the truck is $23,318.

Keene explained that the steel building will enable the port to keep the truck in out of the weather and provide power and space for maintenance.

The port’s old truck only has one gear that works and has been essentially inoperable making it difficult and expensive to keep snow off the runway.

The port has applied for grant funding for the remainder of the cost of the building project, $6,671, to Grant County’s Strategic Infrastructure Program. A decision on that grant application is pending.