The Helena Regional Airport Authority board of directors on Thursday approved a revised set of rules for the sale, lease and disposal of property, in hopes of quickly gaining the approval of city and county elected officials next week.

The board approved a set of rules on Oct. 10, but those rules have since been tweaked in negotiations between airport lawyers and city and county attorneys.

The airport’s rules for sale and lease are supposed to be in line with the county’s, and must be approved by both the city and county commission.

The commissions are each scheduled to take up the rules separately at a joint meeting next Thursday.

“In many ways, these rules go above and beyond what is required,” attorney Pat Melby told the board.

The new rules separate out procedures for aeronautical use, like hangers, counter space or terminal advertising, and non-aeronautical property, like the nine acres proposed to be leased to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana for a new office building.

The idea, Melby said, is to keep the aviation-related lease process from becoming too cumbersome, while at

the same time adding some competitive elements to the lease or sale of non-aeronautical property.

Under the new rules, the airport must advertise a proposed lease and consider any competing offers for the same property that might come in. In addition to financial considerations, the airport can weigh whether the counter-proposal fits with surrounding land use and the long-term plan for the airport.

The airport board approved its original disposal rules in 2003, but through an apparent oversight those rules were never approved by elected officials.

“Although I still don’t believe a lease is a disposal of property, this is to address the ‘disposal of property’ issue,” airport manager Ron Mercer said. “I think it’s been a good-faith effort to work with both the city and county attorneys and I hope these pass on Nov. 6.”

In a letter to the airport board last week, city manager Tim Burton and county administrator Ron Alles asked the airport to sign no more leases until its rules have been approved.

The airport and Blue Cross hope to have their lease signed by mid-December, as the original agreement calls for payments to begin in January, and the insurer would like to begin construction by March.

Reporter John Harrington: 447-4080 or john.harrington@helenair.com.