PAAM Serves as Airport's Focal Point

"To promote the safety and economic viability of the Aurora State Airport and to enhance its compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods and land uses."

The key goals of PAAM are:

1. Provide a common voice for all PAAM Stakeholders;

2. Insure that all Stakeholders are represented in an equitable manner;

3. Promote awareness of community issues and concerns;

4. Advocate the positive stewardship of the surrounding communities by airport users;

5. Establish a collaborative partnership with all Stakeholders to develop solutions to issues within a framework of cooperation;

6. Inform surrounding communities of the positive benefits that exist because of the Airport;

7. Learn how we as airport users and airport neighbors can coexist in a respectful manner;

8. Understand that when issues arise, PAAM is the appropriate coalition-based committee to accomplish solutions.

One doesn’t need to own an aircraft to benefit from the positive influences that the Aurora Airport has on the surrounding communities. Businesses located at the Aurora Airport generate economic, civic, governmental and humanitarian services that are important to the quality of our daily lives. Positive impacts to the surrounding communities, and the entire state, stemming from the existence of the Aurora Airport include:

Civil Air Patrol—Search and Rescue Missions;

Life Flight—Air Ambulance Services;

Forest Service—Fire Fighting Operations;

Business Emergencies—Private Enterprise is Aided by Air-Taxi Charter Services;

Employment Opportunities—Businesses at the Aurora Airport directly employ 400 individuals, creating an annual payroll of more than $12 million based on 1995 statistics;

Overall Economic Impact—The Aurora Airport generates estimated revenues of more than $72 Million, including dollars spent on ancillary services in the surrounding communities of Aurora, Canby, Charbonneau and Wilsonville, based on 1995 statistics calculated by the Oregon State Aeronautics Division;

Tax Base—The Marion County tax base is boosted by the property and income taxes paid by property and business owners at the Aurora Airport;

Law Enforcement—The County Sheriff has aircraft based at Aurora Airport and conduct drug interdiction and surveillance operations and transport flights take place from the Airport;

Aerial Photography—State, County, City and Private Businesses utilize the aerial photographic services provided by companies with aircraft based at Aurora Airport;

Recreation—Visitors from around the world take scenic flights to appreciate the great Pacific NW from aircraft based at the Aurora Airport;

Flight Training—Thousands of pilots have "earned their wings" over the years at Aurora Airport, ranging from private pilots to advanced certificates and ratings training and recurrency checks. Many go on to be instructors and commercial pilots for local and national air carriers.

Community Support—Tremendous patronage by Aurora Airport Users of the secondary businesses and service providers in the surrounding communities.

Stakeholders in PAAM include:

Individuals that hangar aircraft at Aurora Airport Businesses located on the Aurora Airport Field
Local area property owners and residents
Regular and frequent users of the airport
Representatives of recognized aviation groups
Representatives of recognized community groups
Ex-officio (non-voting) representatives of State, County and City governments

Standing Committees / Task Force include:

1. Safety Committee Chairperson, Pete Lance, e-mail: info@colheli.com

2. Membership Committee Chairperson, David Durham, (503) 691-2263

3. Legislative CommitteeChairperson, Ted Millar, e-mail: tmillar@worldnet.att.net

4. Public Relations CommitteeChairperson, TBD

5. Aurora Airport Awareness Day Task Force Chairperson, David Durham, (503) 691-2263

The next general meeting of PAAM is:

Monday, January 11
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Langdon Farm’s Restaurant

If you are a stakeholder in the Positive Aurora Airport Management, have an interest in participating on any of the committees, want to learn more about PAAM and wish to work in a positive manner to address legitimate issues, please join us.

Reporters from local newspapers have been invited to attend:
Wilsonville Spokeman, Canby Herald, The Villager of Charbonneau

Submitted by:
Elizabeth Brockway
President
PAAM
e-mail: elizabeth@esiww.com