EVERETT — The federal government has not cut off or delayed any funding for Paine Field despite a federal official’s verbal warnings to Snohomish County, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday.
Still, county officials must be sure to negotiate in good faith with airlines who want to operate at Paine Field if the county-run airport is to continue to receive federal money, FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said.
And the county’s declaration that it might build an airline terminal at Paine Field could spare officials another lecture from the FAA, Fergus said Thursday.
The County Council on Wednesday voted 4-0 to state its preference for a county-built terminal at Paine Field as opposed to one built by airlines or any other outside party.
“This 4-0 vote is definitely encouraging to us,” Fergus said.
Statements recently made by Carol Suomi, manager of the Northwest FAA office in Renton, to two top county officials were a caution about what could happen in the future, Fergus said.
“She’s the one who has the authority to delay a payment,” he said. “All she’s saying is she wants to see what happens with the negotiations. She was trying to give them an indication of what may be coming down the pike.”
Under federal aviation law, the federal government can withhold funds for airports that do not negotiate in good faith to provide space for any air carrier to operate that wishes to do so.
Paine Field has received about $60 million in federal funding in its history, much of it going to runways and taxiways. County officials, along with Boeing, a major tenant of the airport and the county’s largest private employer, say that money is crucial for the airport’s operations.
Suomi told the county’s airport director and a member of County Executive Aaron Reardon’s staff that the FAA would delay delivery of millions of dollars in airport funding to the county until it reached an agreement for commercial service with Horizon Air, county spokesman Christopher Schwarzen said Tuesday.
The Seattle-based airline has told the county it would like begin service at Paine Field as soon as April 1.
Suomi deferred inquiries to Fergus, who said no official decision had been made on the matter.
“Until we are officially notified that some denial (of airline service) has been made, we are not taking any action to withhold any grants,” he said.
However, Fergus said, statements by elected county officials who oppose air service at the airport — along with objections from opponents who say airplane noise will harm neighborhoods — prompted Suomi’s recent warnings.
“We’re concerned because of the ongoing public debate that’s still there,” he said.
Others have pushed the county to start flights at Paine Field, citing convenience and potential economic benefit, and applauded Wednesday’s vote.
Four of the five county councilmen have expressed opposition to flights at Paine Field. Some said Wednesday, though, that they believe a county-built terminal would afford the county more control over any flight operations than one built by the airlines.
After hearing of Suomi’s comments, county officials asked the FAA to submit something in writing, Schwarzen said. The FAA was considering doing so, just to remind the county of its obligations, Fergus said.
After Wednesday’s resolution, however, the FAA believes a letter might not be necessary.
“It would appear there’s no need for a letter given their 4-0 vote,” Fergus said.
He said the Seattle office asked officials in Washington, D.C., for advice on the matter but had yet to hear back as of Thursday.
County Council Chairman Mike Cooper said Tuesday he felt “blackmailed” by the FAA’s verbal warnings.
“As you know, I was upset and I’m still very disappointed in the ability of some government official to make this kind of comment to put the whole county into turmoil,” Cooper said when informed of the latest developments Thursday.
“We’ve actually written letters in the past that we’re negotiating and we’ll continue to negotiate.”
Fergus said the FAA would not want to award grant money and then see a deal fall through because of recalcitrance by the county.
“It’s only good business to not gamble with taxpayer money,” Fergus said. “Blackmail, no, we’re just trying to be good stewards with taxpayer money.”
Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
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