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Aurora Airport doesn't get grant to extend runway
funded and Aurora was not selected,” said Oregon De­
partment  of  Aviation  director  Betty  Stansbury,  who
was appointed to the position by Gov. Kate Brown in
January. 
Despite that, Stansbury said, the state agency in­
tends to move the plan forward with procuring funding
for the Aurora Airport runway extension and intends
to start the process in 2022.
But the state has started a project that would con­
struct an area for jets to test their systems through a
separate grant and legislative funding.
The problem, according to opponents of the expan­
sion, is the most recently adopted master plan – a doc­
ument that guides infrastructure improvements over a
20­year  period  –  in  2000 stated  the  runway  didn’t 
Bill Poehler
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
The Oregon Department of Aviation didn’t get the
$37 million in grant money it sought to complete the
controversial plan to extend a runway at Aurora Air­
port, but the plan is going forward anyway.
The state is trying extend the runway to the south of
the busiest state­owned airport to 5,901 feet from its
current 5,000 foot length.
State officials were aiming for a piece of $1 billion
the federal government was dispersing from the Con­
solidated  Appropriations  Act  of  2018,  but  that  fund
has been doled out and the Aurora project was passed
over.
“We had applied for the one that was 100 percent
See AIRPORT, Page 2A
The Aurora State Airport in Aurora on Wednesday,
Oct. 24, 2018. There is a $37 million dollar proposal
to expand the airport. ANNA REED / STATESMAN JOURNAL
Silverton fee
Increase to
fund road,
playground
Christena Brooks
Special to Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
SILVERTON  –  Three  extra  fees  at  the  bottom  of
homeowners’ utility bills will rise by 3 percent next
month,  with  the  projects  they’re  funding  ranging
from a new outdoor basketball court to a major road
rebuild.
Starting  July 1,  homeowners  will  pay  a  monthly
$1.60  park  fee,  $7.38  storm  water  system  fee,  and
$9.49 street maintenance fee. That’s a 3.1 percent in­
crease, accounting for inflation as calculated by the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and approved by the
City Council this spring.
The flat fees were originally introduced to Silver­
ton residents and business owners six years ago, at
$1.50, $1 and $3, respectively. They are separate from
water and sewer charges, which will likely rise too, by
fall. A consultant, hired by the city, is reviewing these
See FEE INCREASE, Page 2A
Brooks rail project
decision delayed
Bill Poehler
Guided horseback rides will begin at Silver Falls State Park this weekend. PHOTO COURTESY OF SILVER FALLS LODGE &
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
CONFERENCE CENTER
Guided horseback rides
begin at Silver Falls
Zach Urness Salem Statesman Journal | USA TODAY NETWORK
A new way to experience Silver Falls State Park will
begin this weekend.
Guided horseback rides will take visitors into the
vast  backcountry  of  Oregon’s  largest  state  park  for
$75 per rider starting Sunday.
The tours, which are open to those with no horse­
back  experience,  will  follow  Howard  Creek  Trail
through temperate rainforest but without any water­
fall views. 
“A  lot  of  people  only  see  the  park  on  foot,”  said
Adrienne Blomgren, general manager for The Ranch­
es at Silver Falls State Park, the vendor offering the
new  rides.  “But  riding  through  the  park  on  a  horse
gives you an entirely different perspective.”
While the trips begin with beginner­friendly hour­
long rides, Blomgren said, they plan to add intermedi­
ate­level two­hour rides later this summer that follow
different routes.
See SILVER FALLS, Page 3A
Online at SilvertonAppeal.com
Vol. 138, No. 27
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The  Oregon  Transportation  Commission  on
Thursday delayed its final decision on funding an in­
termodal  facility  in  either  Brooks or  Millersburg to
July 18 so the project sponsors could provide detailed
cost  estimates  and  pricing  structures  of  their  pro­
posed sites.
For  two  years,  a  Kevin  Mannix­led  group  repre­
senting  a  site  in  Brooks  has  been  vying  against  a
group from Millersburg for $25 million in state mon­
ey to build a facility; the funding is part of the $5 bil­
lion transportation plan from House Bill 2017.
“If pushed to make a decision today, it would be
no,” said OTC board chair Tammy Baney.
The  commission  is  requiring  the  three  project
sponsors to provide detailed cost estimates for their
projects by July 12 under the assurance they will be
kept  confidential  under  a  rarprovision  in  Oregon
public records law which affords protection for trade
secrets.
Third­party reviewer, the Tioga Group, has given a
slight edge for Millersburg.
Concerns  were  raised  over  the  connections  be­
tween  the  Treasure  Valley  and  Millersburg  groups
and State Representative Greg Smith of Heppner, but
an Oregon Government Ethics Commission opinion
on May 31 stated OTC members must declare poten­
tial conflicts of interest.
At  Thursday’s  meeting,  all  five  commissioners
stated they had no conflicts of interest.
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com
or
Twit-
ter.com/bpoehler
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