Grove Field has been designated as a NPIAS (National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems) Airport.  Because of this designation Grove Field was eligible for FAA monies to make an AIP (Airport Improvement Program) Plan. 
The Plan  was to decide what the owner (Port C/W) was going to do with the airport over the next 20 years.
The State of Washington Aviation program (WADOT) has said that the limited grant monies that the state has will not be used for NPIAS airports unless they are obligated by taking federal funds.
Because Grove field is a NPIAS airport the ONLY money that it can receive from outside sources for funding airport improvements is from the Federal Government and ONLY if they are obligated.
This Federal Fund has paid for the ALP (Airport Layout Plan) and also for the environmental study that goes with the ALP.  What the State says is that they will not pay Grove Field any more money for improvements other than the 2 ½ % when the FEDS pay 95%.  What the Feds say is that they will not give Grove Field any more money unless they meet the FAA minimum standards.  The Feds have said that they will pay 95% of the money needed to bring Grove Field up to minimum standards. 
The State said they would pay 2 ½ % of the money needed to bring Grove Field up to minimum standards.  What does this mean?  It means that if the Port spends approximately $260,000, the others will put up almost $11 million dollars to make Grove Field meet these Minimum Standards.  Once these minimum standards are met, then Grove Field will be eligible for up to $150,000 each year of Non-Primary Entitlement Program Funds from Congress to do maintenance.  These funds are designated every year for Grove Field, but because we do not Meet Minimum Standards, the funds go to other airports.   All the Feds ask in its obligation is that we keep Grove Field an airport for 20 years or we pay them back the money if we choose to not use it as an airport any more.  The link to the FAA grant assurances is: (Obligation) http://www.faa.gov/airports/northwest_mountain/aip/.

If we are going to have an airport, then why not have what the FAA considers a SAFE airport.  If we want a SAFE airport, why not use the funds that are set aside for airport use to make it better.  IF the Port Commissioners do not vote to accept The Funds this time, there will be NO FUNDS available from outside sources for Grove Field.  This is the time to act.  We either do it now or sell it and let the new owner have control, not the Port. 

Grove field is the only public airport below Bonneville Dam that is above the flood plain.  Troutdale, PDX, Pearson, Scapoose are all in the flood plain.  It is because of this, the state if very interested in keeping Grove Field in Public hands. 

This is copied from the Web page:
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) identifies more than 3,400 existing and proposed airports that are significant to national air transportation and thus eligible to receive Federal grants under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). It also includes estimates of the amount of AIP money needed to fund infrastructure development projects that will bring these airports up to current design standards and add capacity to congested airports. The FAA is required to provide Congress with a 5-year estimate of AIP eligible development every 2 years.The NPIAS comprises all commercial service airports, all reliever airports, and selected general aviation airports.