Commissioners OK contract for airport lounge and restaurant

The Nez Perce County Commission approved a contract Monday with Golf Fun Inc., to operate a restaurant and lounge at the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport.

The Lewiston City Council is expected to address the issue on Monday.

If all goes well, said Jeff Briney of Golf Fun, the goal is to have the restaurant open by May 1.

Golf Fun also operates the Bryden Canyon Golf Course under a contract with the city of Lewiston. The land is owned by the airport.

Daily operations will be limited in the first few months to the smaller lounge area which has about 70 seats, Briney said. The plan is to serve salads, sandwiches and burgers there and use the larger area for parties, meetings and catered events until business justifies a full-service restaurant in that space. Some events already are booked there, he said after Monday's commission meeting.

Airport Manager Robin L. Turner said operations have been rocky since 2001, when terrorist attacks set back the travel economy. Attempts have been made several times using advertising and direct mail to find operators, but they haven't been successful, he said.

If approved by the city, Golf Fun will have a five-year contract, with the first two years free of rent and utility charges, which will be paid by the airport. Rent the following three years will be 1.5 percent of the gross sales. But if the company leaves within the first two years it will forfeit any equipment on site to the airport, Turner said.

Commissioner Michael Grow said one of the items on a list of the top five indicators an airport is failing is lack of a restaurant. Still, before voting, he looked into the audience at Briney: "Jeff, you sure you want to do this?" Grow said. "Too late."

The vote was 3-0.

In other business:

l The commission approved an agreement with the Idaho Transportation Department for construction of a turnbay onto Lenore Bridge. The state agency went the extra mile in coming up with a design that doesn't take away parking at the Lenore Community Center, which is on state right of way, Commissioner Ron Wittman said.

l A continuing planning team was approved that will develop a plan for survival and recovery in the event of an emergency of "national significance." It will be patterned after what was done in the 1950s and 1960s when the threat of nuclear war had people on edge, Emergency Services Director Melvin Johnson said.

"If all goes well, this plan will gather dust on the shelf," he said.

---

Lee may be contacted at slee@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2266.