Airport Authority won’t reduce size of board

The Airport Authority approved its final budget for fiscal year 2019 and crafted language for a bill draft request for the next legislative session.

The final budget projects $468,980 in total income and $412,490 in expenses, for net ordinary income of $56,490.

The airport also will have $413,634 in other income, including $361,134 in Federal Aviation Administration grants, and total other expenses of $397,084, for a total net income of $73,040.

The authority also decided on how it wanted to amend the Airport Authority Act of Carson City, which will be submitted as a bill draft request by Assemblyman Al Kramer.

The changes include allowing members to serve two consecutive four-year terms, instead of a single term. Some of the other language, which established the Airport Authority, was outdated and removed, and some other sections on employees was deleted to be incorporated into an employee handbook instead.

The members discussed reducing the seven-member board to five members to try to streamline some processes, but the authority decided against it.

Chair Linda Law said she opposed the change because it would mean a subcommittee of three could not be formed because it would constitute a quorum, which is not allowed under Nevada’s open meeting law.

“I vehemently oppose reducing the member from seven to five. There are unintended consequences,” said Michael Golden, owner, Mountain West Aviation, and one of the fixed base operator representatives on the authority.

Next, Steve Tackes, airport counsel, will take the proposed changes to the Board of Supervisors for feedback before Kramer submits a draft request to the Legislative Counsel Bureau.