b'70 YGE GENERAL AVIATION To do so, the project team held a public information session in June 2020. The format was a video teleconference due to COVID-19, and 92 people registered to participate. Ultimately, 62 individuals joined the Zoom call, and approximately 50 questions and comments were addressed during the virtual gathering. In addition, online surveys were posted for three months. A total of 634 individuals and businesses provided feedbackthe most response to any community issue in Goldens history, notes Wilsgard. Top respondents to the business survey included organization in the tourism sector (40%), followed by professional services (19%), transportation (16%) and retail (6%). Other respondents were from the construction sector, flight training, aerial photography, healthcare and not-for-profit organizations. It was not only our citizens who engaged, but people from across the country, Wilsgard adds. We had people who represented aviation associations, pilot associations and businesses essentially saying that this is too important of an airport to let go.Vocal proponents of keeping the airport fully operational Construction occurred last fall to avoid the summer tourist season.included Don Bell, a local homeowner and cofounder of West Jet, Canadas second-largest airline. socioeconomic benefits. The goal of most airports is to beThe community was overwhelmingly in favor of keeping it, financially self-sufficient and therefore not require grants orWilsgard shares. What people understood, especially when subsidies from the communities they serve, the report states.we started releasing statistics about medical evacuations, was However, this can prove to be difficult for many municipalthe inherent social value of the airport was large enough unto and regional governments when capital rehabilitation effortsitself to justify repairing and maintaining it.are required and funding requirements extend beyond annualThere was also an underlying sentiment that an airport is an airport operating budgets.economic benefit that maybe we werent realizing now, but one Golden Airports financial performance is considered to beday would. And to lose it would be a tragedy.good and similar to that of other municipally owned airportsThe communitys interest in saving the airport impressed in Canada that successfully fulfill the socioeconomic needs ofpersonnel from HM Aero.their region.We work with a lot of smaller Faced with more than $2.5 million of runway work justcommunity airports, and the level of to keep YGE operating, the Golden Town Council had topositive reception we saw in Golden is determine if the project, and airport itself, was a cost theatypical, says Ben Crooks, a project community could bear. Clearly, it would need to receive sizableplanner at the consulting company. The outside funding, as the towns total annual tax revenue is aboutGolden communitys knowledge of the fire $6 million.protection and medical evacuation use of their airport gave them a better grasp of itsBEN CROOKSGauging Community Sentiment importance.Deciding the future of YGE was not something the Town CouncilHM Aero presented its final economic viability report about wanted to do in a vacuum. So it charged HM Aero with takingYGE to the Town Council in October 2020. With broad support the communitys pulse about continuing to fund operation offrom the community to keep the airport fully functional, the the airport, which was built in the 1980s byTown Council voted unanimously to complete the pressing volunteers. runway repairs. The hope was to also repave two taxiways and The vast majority of citizens ofthree aprons, if the budget would allow.Goldenthe taxpayersnever use the airport, but they are responsible for fundingSecuring Fundsit. We felt we had to go out to the publicWe had never faced this sort of capital expenditure for the for feedback, explains Jon Wilsgard, theairport before, Wilsgard remarks. If youre going to get grants towns chief administrative officer.JON WILSGARD for this sort of project in this day and age, you need to do your January | February 2024AirportImprovement.com'