Hayden officials, KC commissioners reach agreement on airport

HAYDEN - There was a lot of handshaking at the end of Tuesday night's Hayden City Council meeting.

That's because the council and the Kootenai County commissioners signed a memorandum of understanding that both sides agreed establishes a new level of trust. The non-binding document serves as a guide for future land acquisitions relating to the Coeur d'Alene Airport, which is almost completely surrounded by the city of Hayden but is owned and operated by the county.

"To be able to hash this thing out the way that we did tonight really is history making," Commission Chairman David Stewart said following the meeting.

In the short term, the county can move forward with land acquisitions around the airport and get reimbursed by the Federal Aviation Administration. The city is now confident it can move forward with its Ramsey Road extension on the northeast side of the airport, a project that would relieve traffic congestion on U.S. 95.

"Those are two major issues," Commissioner Dan Green said.

Councilman Dick Panabaker said the airport requires the two sides to work together for mutual benefit.

"It's incumbent upon us to make sure that we do the right things today so that people in the future don't have problems too," Panabaker said.

The two sides had strained relations in the past surrounding the airport issue.

"I'm glad that we are where we are today," Panabaker said.

"It's not county versus city," Council President Roger Saterfiel said. "It's what's best for the community."

He thanked the commissioners for the effort to reach the agreement, which he said addresses the concerns of both sides.