Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part two, with part one having appeared in Saturday’s Tribune.
———
OROFINO — J-U-B Engineering presented the Orofino Municipal Airport Master Plan draft, including the preferred alternative, to the public Nov. 18 during an open house at Fire Station 1.
The plan is a document that looks 20 years into the future with the purpose of providing for changes and updates to meet the growing needs of the facility. Recreational, medical and wildland firefighting activity has increased in recent years and the need exists to update the plan that was developed in 2011.
The plan states that, “The product of this effort will provide the City Council with a development program to meet aviation needs in the short, intermediate, and long range planning periods. Keeping up with aviation demand at Orofino Municipal Airport makes it important to plan for aviation safety, capacity, proper facilities, and land use compatibility. Benefits derived from the plan will positively affect the Airport, its users, and the surrounding area.”
Objectives include: complying with FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) design standards; maximizing development opportunities; being environmentally responsive; plan for the highest and best use of the airport for a given development through analysis of the following actors: use of physical site assets, economic benefit, jobs created and corresponding salaries, fiscal impact and contribution to overall FAA objectives; be flexible to accommodate a range of potential aviation and non-aviation users, as appropriate; airport development should be evaluated relative to both long- and short-term costs and benefits.
The J-U-B plan identifies 10 key issues early in the planning process:
Airspace obstructions that vary from man-made obstructions such as utility poles to many natural obstructions such as trees and terrain. Removal of these obstructions through removal or lighting/marking would improve the safety for airport users.
Development constraints exist with the location of the airport between the Clearwater River and U.S. Highway 12 limit the space available. Available ground for hangar development is very limited (two lots currently undeveloped), given height requirements and building restriction lines. Also, there is very limited space outside of safety areas and object free areas for construction of additional tiedowns to accommodate growth.
Fencing and Security: Currently, only the southern half of the airport perimeter is fenced. There is no control of access to the airport — people and wildlife can simply walk around the fence and onto airport property. Community members, fishermen, and wildlife are routinely observed on airport property. Completion of the perimeter fence and installation of electronic gates with code access would help prevent unauthorized access by people and wildlife.
Fuel and Lighting Conditions: The current fueling area is on an asphalt apron with no available lighting for nighttime fueling operations. Spilled fuel is detrimental to the asphalt pavement and the lack of lighting can lead to more difficult and unsafe fueling operations. Construction of a concrete fueling pad and installation of a fuel area light would increase the safety and longevity of the airport fueling facilities.
Parallel Taxiway Dogleg: Due to the space constraints imposed by the river, the west end of the parallel taxiway makes a diagonal “dogleg” connection to the runway end. As a result, the proper separation distances are not maintained for approximately 400 feet of the parallel taxiway.
Pavement Rehabilitation: The parallel taxiway and a portion of the apron were rehabilitated in the summer of 2023. The remaining airport pavements, including the runway and those portions of the apron which were not reconstructed in 2023, had a seal coat applied and a reapplication of pavement markings in the summer of 2024.
Runway End Designation Numbers: The current runway end designator numbers are 8/26. They should be 10/28, to match changes in magnetic north. Projected to be changed along with the seal coat and reapplication of pavement markings in 2024.
NAVAID Review: The city of Orofino installed a consumer-level weather monitoring station with a webcam at the airport in the summer of 2023, but the need for an AWOS has still been identified. Runway End Identifier Lights will also be considered as a possible solution to the inadequacy of nighttime operational needs at the airport.
Runway Safety Area: The west end of the airport, particularly the runway safety area, is characterized by several issues. These include flooding of the river into the safety area during normal spring runoff events, the lack of space to maintain proper separation distances between the runway and parallel taxiway, and a ditch within 150 feet of the end of the runway.
Relocate Airport: One possible solution to the issues identified for the current airport location would be a complete relocation of the airport. This alternative will be investigated further throughout this master plan update to determine if it is a viable option.
With these issues in mind J-U-B staff sought input from the city, stakeholders nearby homeowners and businesses and the general public in a variety of ways including meetings, surveys and open houses.
According to the plan, the City Council gathered in September 2024 to discuss the planning and alternatives selections with J-U-B. The Council selected a list of “a la carte” options that include the full parallel taxiway option with the wall that will be developed on the northwest side of the airport property for the full parallel taxiway connection to be built on Runway 8 End, as well as five more hangars on that end with the expanded wall, and six new total tie-downs. More vehicle parking is also planned near the tie-downs on that northwest end. This would necessitate extending the airport into the Clearwater River.
A complete perimeter fence is also planned to help with security and wildlife protection from deer getting into the airport and onto the runway. Plans for two more larger hangars in between lots 6 and 7, but sizing and funding will ultimately be up to private leaseholders. A larger fuel tank and new concrete pad is planned to help meet demand and increase longevity of airport fueling facilities, as well as Runway End Identifier Lights (REILs) on both runway ends which will provide better visual guidance and more gravel vehicle parking has been planned by the terminal building/pilot’s lounge.
A new helipad and vehicle parking have also been included on the southeast end of Runway 26, which will provide better convenience for LifeFlight and MedEvac helicopters to access emergency ground support. Also chosen is a SayWeather™ Pro system, an alternative to an AWOS, which will help provide better weather reporting for airport users.
Wildlife hazard mitigation strategies include installing goose repellent systems (Goosebuster®) to cover all 31 acres, and, lastly, obstruction mitigation is also planned for the southwest end of the airport which is an important part of this alternative.
The preferred alternative is depicted on the front page with numbers designating the future improvements by location.
Since the FAA, through grant funding, provides 95% of the money for airport projects, such as resurfacing runways and taxiways, the city must adhere to guidelines the agency has set or risk losing funding opportunities. After the draft plan is approved by the council, it will be sent to the FAA for review and approval.
— Nancy Butler, Clearwater Tribune (Orofino), Wednesday
Gresham is new chamber president
GRANGEVILLE — The Grangeville Chamber of Commerce has a new president of its volunteer board.
Maria Gresham was recently selected as the chamber president. Theresa Schmitz (White Bird Summit Lodge) is serving as the chamber office director.
Gresham is the CEO and owner of Pinnacle HR Solutions. She holds a BA in psychology and a doctorate degree in organizational behavior and business strategy from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She also has a degree in medical billing from Carrington College.
“I’m excited to assist Grangeville Chamber of Commerce members in being their best, and seeing this community at its best,” Gresham said at a Nov. 13 board meeting. The board meets the second Wednesday of each month, 7:30 a.m., at the Grangeville Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center. The public is welcome to these meetings.
The board consists of president Gresham; vice president Diane Boles (Syringa Hospital); treasurer Lori Courtright (Potlatch No. 1 Financial Credit Union); secretary Taylor Charley (Avista); David Applewood (Syringa Hospital Foundation); Eric Smith (Idaho Forest Group); Eve McColloch (The Gym, Jungle Gym’s); Lara Shipman (Merrow Materials); Sandi Bowman (Eagles Aerie No. 539); and Terri Tackett (Animal Rescue Foundation).
To become a member of the Grangeville Chamber of Commerce see grangevilleidaho.com; email chamber@grangevilleidaho.com; call (208) 983-0460; or mail check to P.O. Box 212, Grangeville ID 83530.
Memberships include general business rate-$175 a year; another business with the same owner as first: $90; professional associate (attorneys, real estate agents, physicians within a practice, etc.): $65; voting nonprofit organization or club: $90; clubs and nonprofits (no voting rights): free; individuals: $65. The benefits of becoming a chamber member can be found online.
— Lorie Palmer, Idaho County Free Press (Grangeville), Wednesday
