The most unflinching critic of relocating Friedman Memorial Airport unleashed a new broadside Tuesday, this time proposing a new coalition of cities and Blaine County government to decide the fate of the Hailey airport.
Sun Valley Co. General Manager Wally Huffman said decisions involving the airport's future are "driven by politics in the city of Hailey."
Hailey and Blaine County own the airport and appoint the five-member authority that manages the field.
Instead, Huffman proposed that elected officials from all cities in the Wood River Valley and Blaine County replace the present management arrangement, arguing that if voters then didn't like decisions on the airport, "there is a remedial review at the ballot."
Until 1994, the airport in fact was managed by an 11-member commission representing cities, the county and state, but was abolished because it was unwieldy and unable to agree on issues.
Huffman's new burst of criticism apparently was triggered by a newspaper ad and a Monday press conference at which the city of Hailey, Blaine County and the Friedman Memorial Airport Authority explicitly rejected further talk of expanding the present facility.
Huffman's letter was addressed to news media, Blaine County and the airport board, but omitted the city of Hailey.
Although he several times wrote that officials of the city of Hailey have every "right" to make a decision on the airport and "we should all respect" Hailey's opinion, Huffman was blistering in his opinion of Hailey city officials.
"The FMAA (Airport Authority) is dominated by the Hailey city officials and their appointees and decisions are driven by politics in the city of Hailey," he wrote. Authority members are its chairwoman, Martha Burke, who is a Hailey City Council member, and Hailey Mayor Susan McBryant. Blaine County has two members, County Commissioner Tom Bowman and Len Harlig, a former county commissioner. The fifth member, Dr. Ron Fairfax, represents the public and aviation interests. The Friedman family deeded the airport property to the city.
Huffman asserted that "there never was an intention on the part of the FMAA to objectively" analyze whether a new airport site was needed or the present site could be retained.
Huffman's statement also suggested the authority was not supplying the public answers about the cost of a new airport and what would be required to bring Friedman into compliance with Federal Aviation Administration safety standards.
Actually, the authority has frequently discussed possible costs of a new airport—as much as $100 million for 600 to 1,200 acres and possibly two runways—as well as FAA safety compliance requirements.
The authority has announced that at a Sept. 28 public meeting, greater detail comparing expansion of Friedman versus a new airport would be presented, including graphics showing how expansion would require moving state Highway 75 and condemning 40 or more homes in the adjoining Woodside area.
Responding to Huffman, airport authority member Harlig called the statement "consistent with what (Huffman) has said in the past" in "his long opposition to relocating the airport."
Noting that the city of Hailey "has supported every effort to make the existing airport available for commercial flights" and improve facilities, Harlig said Huffman's viewpoints would be welcome at the Sept. 28 authority meeting where the public can evaluate the costs of expanding Friedman outside its present boundaries.
(Editor's Note: The full letter by Sun Valley Co. General Manager Wally Huffman will be published in the Friday edition of the Mountain Express.)
