GUERNSEY – It is still unknown whether the Town of Guernsey will retain ownership of the Guernsey airport or choose to utilize the asset as leverage in trading for developable land. Guernsey mayor Ed Delgado told the council to make sure to look carefully at all options, because they will need to make a decision by the next council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
“…If we get rid of that airport, we’re never getting it back, so we need to be thinking on that real close,” councilman Dale Harris said of the weight of the decision before the council.
In the Guernsey council’s July 16 meeting, a decision was tabled 120 days on a land swap proposal prepared by the Wyoming Military Department (at the request of the Town of Guernsey). The council reasoned, they needed some time to become more informed on the costs or processes involved if they chose to keep the airport and somehow get it into a position to pay for itself.
“It’s been over 15 years and we’re finally turning over rocks to see what we can do – what’s available – and keeping our options open,” councilman Joe Michaels said at the council meeting on Oct. 2.
He explained, last Monday the council, mayor, and some town employees met with an engineer at the airport for an assessment of how it measures up, according to the Wyoming Aeronautics Division (WAD). “The issue we have is: 2002 – 2004 was the last time it was inspected out there by the aeronautics division. The taxiway that goes from the hangars to the runway is not in the best state of repair. It is actually coded red and needs fixed. In talking with the engineer, we will have to do a long-range plan to prioritize a list of things that need to be done there,” Michaels said.

“First and foremost…it needs to either break even or make money rather than being a money pit. And [the engineer] was willing to provide some information for us to do that and send some recommendations the town considers important, then send them to the WAD for grant monies available,” he continued. “The airport is an asset, and we can get funding for it – the town is not restricted in having to pay for it alone, if there is a 10 percent match.”
He explained, if someone wanted to donate 10 percent matching funds in exchange for their name on a building, the town could use those funds as well.
“…We could put x-number of dollars into it or [repair] the roads in town: they’re two different pots of money,” Michaels said. “We are coming into a new budget season, and we could work on this (aeronautics grant funding) for the following submission next year…We are keeping our options open and looking at what’s there.”
Michaels also pointed out the town currently has two airplanes in hangars, paying about half the rent many other airports are charging – and other airports nearby have long waiting lists. Couple that fact with the space that is available in Guernsey’s hangar for 10 planes (and potential federal funding if certain requirements are met), and it is possible to see there is a way for the airport to stop being the financial burden it currently is to the town.
Councilwoman Penny Wells said she didn’t see how the town could be able to turn the airport around to be able to make money.
Mayor Delgado told the council, the town has talked about a land swap with Camp Guernsey for years.
The land owned by the Wyoming Military Department and used by the town for a burn pile just north of the Guernsey water tower would open opportunities for the town to expand, if it could be exchanged for the airport owned by the Town of Guernsey. Other options discussed by the council include possibly keeping the airport and purchasing the brush pile parcel outright.
Mayor Delgado added, there was a meeting planned with Camp Guernsey to look at options for a joint use of the airport.
During the September meeting of Platte County Economic Development, as recorded in the minutes, Camp Guernsey’s base operations manager Robby Cain confirmed, “Camp Guernsey is working with the town to discuss options for keeping the airfield open for civilian use – possibly including creating a flight club…”
“We need to think about it – it’s been going on for a while…It’s up to the council to make the decision; or we can call a town meeting and see what the town thinks. It’s up to you,” the mayor concluded. “…So, Council: put your thinking hats on, figure out what we’re going to do with the airport, and what we are going to do with the land swap.”