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  • Great Falls residents voice concern over airport director situation

Residents in Great Falls Neighborhood Council #1 are concerned about the airport board's search for a new director.

On January 31st, the Neighborhood Council sent a letter to the City and County Commissions expressing their concerns about the impact that a new airport director might have on the community.

Part of their concerns are because of the on-going Residential Sound Insulation Project and the role the current airport director, Cynthia Schultz, has played in obtaining funding for the program.

Schultz has been able to obtain $2.7 million dollars for the pilot stage of the project, but to finish everything it will take another $27 million dollars.

Residents are worried that if she is replaced, they will lose momentum not only on this project, but on other industrial development that Schultz has had a role in.

Fred Rauch, secretary for Neighborhood Council #1, explained, "Grant writing is an art, not a science. And Cynthia's figured this out and she's been very good at it. In fact, she's gotten over $49 million - in a bigger picture - she's gotten over $49 million in FAA discretionary funds, in her tenure of about 11-12 years. $40 million in industrial development, private development. So you have to take that in the big picture, we're going to lose that momentum and that concerns us."

Cascade County Commissioner Joe Briggs noted, "Typically, projects - once they're in the queue for funding and have been initiated - changes of the management of the project don't impact the funding sources. I think probably a far bigger impediment to the project moving forward is the overall financial situation of the federal government."

The Residential Sound insulation project also affects residents of Neighborhood Council #2, which is also near the airport.

Not only does the project benefit nearly 10,000, but the Montana Air National Guard as well; having a noise reduction program in place gives the Guard an edge when trying to obtain new aircraft, like the F-22 Raptors.

The airport authority will report to the City Commission at Tuesday's meeting.