Manti, Ephraim disband airport board

The Manti-Ephraim airport will soon have a new governance structure.

Earlier this month, the Ephraim City Council voted unanimously to disband an advisory board of citizens from Manti and Ephraim, which has overseen the board for more than 20 years.

The decision follows the advisory board’s own recommendation last November to dissolve the board as then constituted. However, the advisory board suggested establishing an “airport authority” with a governing board that would operate independently from Manti and Ephraim, the two partner cities operating the airport.

According to a press release from Ephraim City, the composition of a new airport board is currently in negotiation among representatives from both Manti and Ephraim.

A few months ago, the Sanpete County Commission endorsed the concept of the county becoming a partner in the airport and offer $12,000 as an initial county investment. It was not clear whether the partner cities accepted the offer, or if the county did join as a partner, how it would be represented in any governance structure.

“This restructuring is expected to lead to more effective management and development of the airport facility,” Ephraim City officials wrote in the press release. The decision was a “strategic move to align the board’s structure with its responsibilities and authority,” the press release states, and the decision was “not a reflection on the dedication and service of the current board members.”

In the past, the airport board has met once a month, and any decisions had to be approved by both Manti and Ephraim city councils. The process was very slow, Tom Herbert, the advisory board chairman, said at the November meeting.

While the new board is being established, the mayors and city managers of both Manti in Ephraim have been meeting as an executive board, the press release states.