Airport Committee Established To Address Community Concerns

Bert Webber was a member of the deceased airport advisory committee.

The Port of Bellingham Commissioners abolished the single Bellingham Airport Advisory Committee they created in 1992 with an orientation toward airport operations, and established two committees. One technical committee will deal with airport operations and the other non-technical citizens committee to deal with community concerns about operations and development, like traffic, parking and noise matters.

The non-technical citizens committee, with the first meeting planned for the beginning of June, will review all aspects of airport operations and pass on suggestions and recommendations to the Port Commissioners.

There is a maximum of 13 positions on the committee weighted somewhat to the areas currently most impacted by noise, but including a diversity of groups including the Visitors Center/Tourism, the Chamber of Commerce and business owners. There are seven vancacies on the non-techical committee.

The commissioners recognizes the need to increase the transparency of airport operations and to be more responsive to the community impacts of airport operation.

It is essential that this new committee be successful. Please consider joining, go to the Port Commission website, click on Aviation and then Airport Advisory Committee from the list.

More information is available on the port website. Search for Resolution 1320A. This document is found in Action Item 2 of the March 18 Commissioners Agenda

The back story: on 3/20/2014 at 11:00 a.m. the old Bellingham International Airport Advisory Committee was declared deceased by its committee members. Formed in 1992 the BIAAC was established “to act as a diverse citizen and aviation-interest group for addressing airport operations and impacts on the Whatcom County community.”

The thought was that the group of members would inform each other and would be able to provide a balanced perspective on airport operations. From 1992 to around 2005, the structure worked, primarily because the noise levels did not impact many people. As the number of flights in and out of Bellingham increased (especially Allegiants MD80 flights), noise became an issue, and the BIAAC was presented with ever increasing concerns over noise, it became apparent that there were irreconcilable differences in the committees. Pilots and staunch advocates for the economic success of the airport dominated the committee, and the BIAAC refused to consider environmental issues including the lead in aviation gas and the shortcomings of the Port’s noise abatement procedures. The noise issues now include a chorus of complaints from community members not only those close to the airport, but as well, as far to the east as Everson and south to the Fairhaven region. The simmering concerns of community members finally reached the Port Commissioners and their response was to declare a divorce between the aviation-interest group and the diverse citizen groups and to establish two new committees with a mediator to communicate between them. This 13 member citizens’ committee is one of the two and is charged with bringing community concerns about airport operations for a forum for discussion.