OWLS HEAD — According to Jeff Northgraves, manager of the Knox County Regional Airport, the Airport Advisory Committee is looking to fill three vacancies in 2015. The committee (APAC) links Midoast communities, the airport manager and Knox County government.  The nine-seat committee was specifically tasked to facilitate airport communications to and from local communities and citizens, as well as provide aviation, environmental and business advice for airport management. 

The terms for the District 3 seat (representing Appleton, Camden, Hope, Isle au Haut, Matinicus,North Haven, Rockport and Vinalhaven); the business seat; and the environmental seat expire this year. The County Commission will fill these seats, for three-year terms, during its April 14 County Commission meeting.

Nominations should be sent to Northgraves (jnorthgraves@knoxcountymaine.gov) or any current member of the APAC by April 9.  The APAC will compile these nominations and provide recommendations to the County Commission. 

Citizens interested in becoming a member of the APAC should notify their town office. Northgraves said the APAC was eatablished in 2005 to advise expertise to the airport manager and the county commissioners on aviation matters.

“It also involves the communities so that we can get an outreach so their desires can be brought into our considerations and be heard,” he said. “Every year, three of the seats term out and they are a three-year term so each of the nine seats rotates.”

The bylaws stipulate that there be a nine-year limit on committee members.

Northgraves said that while the committee is not essential to running the airport, it is essential in running it in an open way and to ensure the airport is not heading down a path with blinders on.