YAKIMA — More than a year after it was created by the state Legislature, a new committee seeking long-term solutions to Washington’s aviation and transportation issues has taken early steps toward a mission statement and hiring a consultant.
Yakima resident Gary Wirt and administrators from Eastern Washington’s three largest airports are among the 19 members of the Commercial Aviation Work Group, which met online Thursday.
The group’s mission statement, still in draft form, notes that it will have a much broader agenda than the controversial Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission, which it replaced, said Evan Nordby, who chaired Thursday’s meeting.
Nordby said the work group’s website, aviation workgroup.com, and its mission statement make clear that “we are not here to recommend a new airport site.” Instead, the goal is to address statewide transportation issues in general.
The Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission met for four years to suggest solutions and potential new airport sites to relieve overcrowding at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. After objections to the proposed sites, the new work group will study other options.
“It is important for the state to first fully consider increasing capacity at existing airports throughout the state, excluding SeaTac, before it considers siting a new airport,” a draft charter statement posted on the aviation work group website said.
Sites face opposition
The work group’s Thursday meeting included 12 public comments, most of them from Pierce County and Thurston County residents who organized to oppose three earlier airport sites considered in their counties.
During that process, several members of the Enumclaw Plateau Community Association, Pierce County’s Stop the Airport and other groups noted the willingness of Yakima city officials to be considered as an option to relieve commercial air traffic from SeaTac. The Yakima option was mentioned during Thursday’s public comments.
“Don’t forget about Yakima,” Scott Lay told the work group. “They’re willing and able and should always be an option.”
Yakima is represented on the work group by Wirt, who was recently appointed. He introduced himself by noting he retired from a 35-year career with the Federal Aviation Administration, and he mentioned his role as vice president of the All Aboard Washington passenger rail advocacy organization.
Other members of the work group include Buck Taft, director of the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco; Larry Krauter, CEO of Spokane International Airport; and Rich Mueller, director of Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake.
Nordby noted that more appointments are needed to fill the 19 member slots on the work group, but he anticipated vacancies would remain unfilled until after a new governor is elected.
The group scheduled an Oct. 29 meeting to compile its required annual report, but Nordby and other members do not expect to tackle major issues until 2025.
