As the airport master plan update continues to progress, City and airport leadership would like to share the recent City Council–approved Vision, Mission, Values, and Goals for Heber Valley Airport.
Airport staff, the Airport Advisory Board, community members, and the Heber City Council recently completed a visioning process to put down on paper the hopes and expectations for how the airport will serve the community. These Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals statements lay out the City’s plan for the airport, what leadership hopes to achieve with this master plan, and define the services the airport should provide the community. The main theme is to have the City operate a safe, self-sustaining airport that balances the needs of the community with the needs of the users.
Vision
Heber Valley (Russ McDonald Field) supports the economic, environmental, and recreational needs of Heber City and the surrounding communities through safe, secure operations and fiscal self-sustainment.
Mission
The mission of Heber Valley Airport (Russ McDonald Field) is to serve as an active, self-sufficient, general aviation airport responding to the needs of the local community. The airport will continually strive to provide attractive, high-quality aeronautical facilities and services to based and visiting aircraft in a safe and environmentally sensitive manner.
Values
Community: Be a good neighbor that benefits the cities and counties surrounding the airport
Outreach: Communicate, understand, accept, and balance community as well as airport needs
New Ideas: Develop innovative solutions to emerging airport opportunities and challenges
Non-Contentious: Act always, on all issues, so that compromise and finding common ground guides all discussions and negotiations
Environment: Eliminate or minimize potential environmental impacts on surrounding communities
Concern: Make airport safety and security our number-one priority
Transparent: Ensure that all airport management processes are conducted in an open and responsible manner
Goals
- Ensure a safe and efficient airport for all users and the surrounding communities
- Develop and maintain a financially sound and effective Airport Business Plan that does not require local tax subsidies or bonding
- Maintain the number and size of individual transient aircraft at reasonable levels
- Minimize noise and air pollution
- Honor all existing covenants, contracts, or legal agreements
- Avoid potential conflicts or future lawsuits
- Make all improvements required by FAA safety and grant obligations
- Create, grow and maintain strong relationships between all airport stakeholders
- City Council, AAB, FBO, Users and Tenants, other Airport Businesses and Clubs, FAA, UDOT Aeronautics, Local Community and Clubs, Airport Consultants, Airport Engineers, neighboring County and City officials, Chamber of Commerce and local Colleges/Schools/Institutions
- Encourage efforts to attract citizens in the Heber Valley to visit and utilize the airport
- Food facilities, museums and art, marketing/branding, landscaping, fencing and signage, viewing area, etc.
These important statements provide the lens through which the Flightpath project team views the master plan update. They were essential in helping develop the Alternatives, as the planners sought viable options to bring the airport into federal compliance while considering the wishes of the community and the City’s vision for the airport. The team and the City will continue to work to achieve these goals through the master plan process and beyond.
You can download the approved Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals here in the Flightpath Document Library. If you would like to provide feedback now or have any questions about the airport master plan, please submit them through our Contact Us page.
