Airport presentation tonight

People attending tonight's Airport Advisory Committee meeting at Stateline will receive a lot of information about the airport, but one thing they won't see is the revised ordinance.

That's because it hasn't been written yet.

A representative of an airport watchdog organization, the Carson Valley Vanguard Coalition, said Monday the group is willing to support an ordinance that protects the rural character of the airport.

"The deal is that we would work with the county on the ordinance and if it's what we can all live with, then we'll give our support," said coalition member Steven Swabacker. "If it's not something we can live with, then we may present that to voters with the attendant signature gathering."

Swabacker said that while the weight limit is important, it isn't the best way to reduce activity at the airport.

Infrastructure is the key to controlling the use of aircraft at the airport.

The draft should be released after the Aug. 6 Douglas County commissioner meeting.

"We'll see what that work product is on Aug. 6," Swabacker said. "If it's workable and tenable, we'll work toward supporting it. If it's not, we'll see if we can retrain the focus. I would much rather have the kind of document that will protect general and sport aviation at Minden-Tahoe and an enforceable document. If they don't enforce it, then what the heck good is it?"

If the key elements they're seeking are missing from the ordinance, then Swabacker said the coalition may seek a ballot question of their own.

"We'd much rather work with the county," he said. "The alternative is to spend a lot of time, energy and money. The county has enough other issues to deal with than another huge debate on the airport. When they show us the draft, we hope it contains the elements we feel are absolutely necessary. Then we've got an ordinance strong enough and enforceable enough to serve the needs of citizens of Douglas County."

Proponents of the ordinance say failure to approve the ordinance will cut off federal funding and could result in the FAA seeking more than $18 million in grants already used for work on the airport. Opponents say the present ordinance is enforceable and that the county should contact its federal representatives to put pressure on the FAA to back off.

The Airport Advisory Council will make a presentation on FAA's letters concerning the airport weight ordinance's compliance 6 p.m. at the Tahoe Transportation Center in Stateline.

About 40 people turned out for a similar presentation on July 15 in Minden.