| Montrose is a remarkable place to call home! The founders of our great nation laid out a path of progress, with checks and balances that foster solutions to bring us together. Over the years, through our local government, Montrose County has steadily improved the quality of life and services available to our residents. These collective successes continue to attract businesses, tourism, and cultural opportunities. It is our shared interest to enhance air transportation that connects our community to the rest of the world. We do this without any cost to the citizens of Montrose County through an enterprise fund — a financial mechanism that accounts for revenues and costs for services provided to the public through user fees. Our airport operates as a business and does not use tax dollars to fund capital expenditures or operating expenses. Federal funding received by our airport is set up in the same manner, and those dollars come from an Aviation Trust Fund that is capitalized through users of the aviation system. On-airport businesses such as maintenance facilities and fixed based operators, a type of business that facilitates non-commercial general aviation aircraft and aircraft fueling, also support the overall operational capabilities of our airport. These businesses provide services that attract aircraft and generate revenue that is ultimately used to fund the airport. For an airport it is imperative that these businesses are located and operate from airport property. This ensures both the airport and business are safeguarded by federal policy that govern and protect the public's investment. In recent history, through the support of our citizens and Montrose County, our airport continues to grow and be a focal point for passengers traveling to and from the Western Slope. As an airport grows, its funding is split between the public facing features of parking and terminal, and non-public facing infrastructure such as aprons, runways and taxiways. As with any business we are charged with the distribution of funds that creates balance growth for our entire operation. Our capital projects planned for 2025 demonstrate how our funding is being used to balance the competing needs of the airport while supporting sustainable, managed growth. In 2025, our capital projects include improvement of a broad set of infrastructure needs that contribute to the overall operation of our airport. A portion of these needs include navigational support systems for aircraft arrivals and departures, rehabilitation of taxiways, and updated flooring in legacy portions of our terminal. A key project of ours will be the addition of two new passenger loading bridges, expanding on the two that were added in 2023. These bridges provide an environmentally controlled experience when passengers transition from the aircraft to the terminal. Federal dollars received through the Aviation Trust Fund are prohibited from funding any portion of the airport that has the ability to produce revenue. Because of this, infrastructure such as passenger loading bridges are constructed with local airport revenue only. An additional public facing project will be a new monument, or welcome sign that welcomes passengers to our community and airport. Half of our previous sign required removal to accommodate our signalized intersection, a compromise that greatly increased public safety while entering and exiting our airport. Airport management is committed to maximizing funding opportunities that benefit both our airport and community, actively seeking out non-aviation funding sources. Over the past year we have engaged in a Safe Streets for All community planning grant process with the goal of improving pedestrian access to the airport. This is a federally funded grant available to communities through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Four public meetings were conducted and public input shaped our vision for the projects that will be included in an implementation grant. These projects consist of improvements to Airport Road that parallels North Townsend Avenue on the Southwest side of the airport; a new Ground Transportation Center South of the airport terminal and improvements to various pedestrian crosswalks. Commercial aviation is an ever-changing industry driven by privately owned companies with mobile assets; i.e., aircraft. Supply and demand drive the majority of our industry but is not always the determining factor for airline service. Fuel costs, route length and aircraft size also play a critical role when airlines determine their overall route structure. In this dynamic industry filled with uncertainty, we strive to manage fixed outcomes. Passenger experience in particular is a primary focus and outcome we strive to improve. This experience encompasses: parking, ground transportation, food and amenities—a seamless favorable transition from your vehicle to the aircraft is our goal. Montrose Regional Airport is the first and last impression for many visitors to the Western Slope of Colorado. Public engagement is our most valuable asset and has positioned Montrose Regional Airport well for the future. As we get ready to welcome our community to this year's upcoming Tribute to Aviation on September 13-14, citizens of Montrose County should be proud of our vibrant airport that serves all of our friends, families, and businesses. Lloyd Arnold serves as Director of Aviation at Montrose Regional Airport and Hopkins Field Airport. | 
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