ESCANABA — Following last week’s announcement that Delta County Airport Administrator Robert Ranstadler would be leaving the airport in February, the county has wasted no time in laying the framework to find his replacement.

On Monday, the airport advisory board met for a regularly-scheduled meeting, during which the board approved appointing two of its members to a subcommittee to review the advisory board’s bylaws. The move followed a recommendation made by Ranstadler at the Dec. 3 county board of commissioners meeting, a series of statements made by Ranstadler about disfunction and possibly confusion within the advisory board over the board’s role, and a call for a no confidence vote by County Commissioner and Airport Advisory Board Member Kelli van Ginhoven, which would have removed all members of the board.

“It was my goal if elected to sit on that airport advisory board because I felt the board continued to … lack motivation. I feel that the airport advisory board as it stands now is not in a position that we should allow them to handle the hiring of our new airport manager,” van Ginhoven said before motioning for the no contest vote Dec. 3.

The no contest vote failed, with only van Ginhoven supporting the removal of the airport advisory board members and their replacement with new members.

Ranstadler — who argued the commissioners should take a more active role in the hiring process and consider input from aviation tenants and other airport managers, past and present — was allowed to participate in the discussion at the Dec. 3 meeting.

“My recommendation and suggestion is that I would, I would think … (if I were) in the County Board of Commissioners’ mind, (I’d) want to take a very close look at those airport bylaws and perhaps sit down and maybe put something in writing that clearly defines what the responsibilities of the airport board are. And if at that point the airport board members feel they can’t fulfill those responsibilities because perhaps they don’t have the time or whatever the reason is, then maybe it is time for a change,” he said.

Later in the day Monday, during a special joint meeting with the advisory board, the board of commissioners approved the county reaching out to previous applicants that had sought Ransdtadler’s position prior to his hiring as the airport’s manager in 2023. They also began the process of having a request for proposals drawn up for headhunting services for a new airport manager.

Because Ranstadler’s resignation was announced just hours after the resignation of Assistant Airport Manager Robyn Morrison — who has already vacated her post — the county is seeking to fill two positions. The job descriptions and salaries for both positions were discussed by the county and airport advisory boards this week, but both required review by county subcommittees. The job descriptions will be reviewed by the personnel committee and Ranstadler prior to final approval by the county board at an upcoming meeting, and the salaries will be reviewed by the finance committee and Ranstadler prior to board approval.