HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-02-24-minutes-check-in-with-benjamin-west02/24/20 MINUTES 1
COMMISSIONERS' MINUTES KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON COMMISSIONERS CONFERENCE ROOM SPECIAL MEETING MONDAY 8:00 A.M. FEBRUARY 24, 2020
Board members present: Chairman Brett Wachsmith; Vice-Chair Laura
Osiadacz; and Commissioner Cory Wright.
Others: Julie Kjorsvik, Clerk of the Board; Benjamin West, Director
of Airport Operations; Mark Cook, Public Works Director/Interim
Engineer; and 3 members of the public.
SPECIAL MEETING AIRPORT UPDATE COMMISSIONERS
At 8:00 a.m. Chairman Wachsmith opened a Special Meeting to meet
with Benjamin West, Director of Airport Operations for a weekly
update.
Benjamin West updated the Board on a conference he attended over the
weekend where he assisted at the Washington Airport Managers booth.
He said would like to have a booth at the conference next year as
there are thousands of people who attend, and it would be a good way
to market the airport as well as network with others. He distributed
copies of materials for the Board’s review and outlined various
projects and focuses including the economic impacts and benefits to
the community from the airport. He reviewed strategic/economic plans
and said he would begin soliciting engineers and hoped to have plans
that would begin to assist in bringing the community together.
Mr. West said he has received various comments from people about the
poor conditions of the airport, safety issues including wildlife and
vegetation. He said he would be working on a Wildlife Hazard
Management Plan and will work with wildlife experts. He would like
to be able to commission an engineer to review plans for the hangars
to make sure they fit with the Master Plan, and if not, look at
alternatives. He said that with all of the duties and work he will
be doing he would like to request at least hiring an Administrative
Assistant. He said he would also like to rethink the option of a
temporary trailer for his office, as he would like to have a place
big enough to include at least 2 offices, a pilots lounge, bathroom
facilities (including showers); as well as a kitchen. Mark Cook,
Public Works Director/Interim Engineer said they could continue to
assist with the administrative duties in the short term. Mr. West
said he’d like to find a way to begin completely separating from the
Public Works Department and would talk with Mr. Cook later to review
what’s already been budgeted for. Other immediate needs he felt that
were necessary to obtain was a FOD-BOSS, a high-power blower, and a
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front-end loader with attachments for snow removal, etc. Mr. West
requested to be allowed to have social media for the airport
including Facebook, LinkedIn and You-Tube. He would also like to
have a new logo for the airport so he could get patches made along
with shirts, etc. He mentioned the possibility of re-naming the
airport, but keeping “Bowers Field” as part of it such as the
“Kittitas County Regional Airport – Bowers Field”, as it would still
identify with it being local, but the Kittitas County Regional
Airport part would help with publicity and identify the area better.
The Board asked to schedule another follow up meeting with Mr. West.
Meeting adjourned at 9:00 a.m.
KITTITAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CLERK OF THE BOARD KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Julie Kjorsvik Brett Wachsmith, Chairman