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Home My WebLink AboutMinutes_AIRAB_05.29.2002 Minutes of the Meeting of the Airport Advisory Board City of Georgetown, Texas Wednesday, May 29, 2002 The Airport Advisory Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Wednesday , May 29, 2002. Members Present: Dennis Daley, Don Pfiester, Howard Fomby, Jeff Gilbert, Jerry Fye, John C. Bader, Mark Dietz Members Absent: None. Staff Present: Travis McLain Minutes Regular Meeting 1. Call to order. Chairman Fye called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. Due to the number of agenda items to be discussed, Citizen comments will be limited to three minutes. 2. Consideration and Approval of Minutes of April 22, 2002, meeting. Motion by Dietz and seconded by Pfiester to approve the minutes of the April 22, 2002, meeting. Motion approved 7-0. 3. Airport Manager’s Report: A. April 2002 Monthly Income and Expense Report reviewed by Board (Reports (3) attached) B. Status of the F.A.R. Part 150 Noise Study. 1. Waiting for FAA – Washington review of forecasts section. 2. Waiting for TxDOT and FAA review of recent Council action on “no new growth” and how it affects the noise study. Keith Peshak: Does not believe computer generated noise contours are accurate. Should have used actual ground noise measurements Don Pfiester: Study indicates actual measurements made on the ground do agree with the computer generated measurements. C. Status of Control Tower. 1. Request for Qualifications from consultants closes 5:00 P.M., May 31, 2002. Council will act as the Consultant Selection Committee. 2. Council will consider, on June 11, 2002, authorizing staff to apply for FAA program (AIR 21, Section 304). FAA pays 1/3 cost of the Tower and Equipment. TxDOT will pay 1/2 of the City’s 2/3. This saves the City $183,000.00 if chosen to participate. D. Status of Airport Terminal Project. Airport Terminal Project has not received final invoice from the contractor. E. General Information Items 1. Airshow – Council action taken May 14, 2002, restricts all future airshows to fly-ins and static display only. No aerobatic flight requiring a waiver from the FAR ’s will be permitted. 2. No Growth – Council action taken on May 14, 2002, instructs staff to amend the Airport Plan Element of the Century Plan to provide for no further expansion at the Georgetown Municipal Airport. 4. Consideration of and possible action on ways to encourage safe and courteous flying at the Georgetown Municipal Airport. Mike Zucker, item sponsor, talk to all FBO’s to seek input. Wright & A.I.M. held a seminar, could continue this practice. The City’s Fly Friendly Program plus additional items. Council could hear from the Airport Advisory Board. Airshow & No Growth did not come the Airport Advisory Board. Mike Zucker: Not prepared to present complete recommendations to the Board until the June meeting. Fred List: Fly Friendly Program does not work. New program won’t work either. New pilots do not follow rules. Low flights are frequent. Aircraft N number too small, cannot be seen. There is no phone number to call to register a complaint about low flying. Why are there no law enforcement officers at the airport? Keith Peshak: Approximately 85% of traffic is from one flight school; traffic is always in a different order. There are basic things we can do to eliminate noise. 5. Consideration of and possible action on recommending Council approve the EAA’s request to place a display in the Terminal Building in memory of Tony Bengelis. The E.A.A. representative not present. Defer action until June meeting. Keith Peshak: Agrees that we should honor Mr. Bengelis memory. He is very deserving of the honor. 6. Consideration of and possible action on recommending to the City Council changes to the Airport Rates and Charges as they relate to the City’s Fiscal and Budgetary Policy and an effective date. Don Pfiester presented Sub-committee’s work on Fiscal and Budgetary Policy. - 5¢ across the board fuel increases - 5% increase in T-Hangar and Tiedowns - Recommend that rate increases be lowered if expenses are lower Howard Fomby: no one likes price increases, but budget must be balanced and everyone needs to help pay. May need to be adjusted based upon how business reacts. Dennis Daley: T-Hangar & Tiedowns are subsidizing the large land leases. Do not let new leases go too cheap. Tom Yantis: The Economic Development Commission is studying the land lease issue. Penny Burt: 45K shortfall caused by no administration allocation charged in 2002. Dennis Daley: no sales taxes collected on aircraft sales Peshak: meeting started late, no citizen input. Where did 45,0000 shortfall come from. Against federal law. Don Pfiester: you misquoted me, Council told us how much money we needed, public input asked for and received at the meeting. Howard Fomby: We did not have all the information we needed. Discussed this with the FBO’s. Input required; need to address issue as best we can. Mark Dietz: Cannot legally charge Land Leases for operating costs. Don Dison: Point of diminishing returns to wholesale, could we loose gas sales if price too high? He paid $500,000.00 to build hangar and pay for utilities. No sweetheart deal. Obvious: to raise more money build more hangars. Dennis Daley: Turn the airport into something that generates tax dollars. Howard Fomby: Early lessees did get a good deal to bring businesses to the airport Don Dison: Subcommittee did a good job Mike Zucker: The committee’s mission was too narrow. Airport has value to the City. This needs to be taken into account. Bill Hoglan: Question: does all the money come from the airport? I pay taxes for facilities that I do not use. We do not need a tower. Why does the airport have to pay for itself? Dennis Daley: I agree that the tower will not be needed. However, schools benefit everyone, the Airport is a nuisance, we do not want to pay for it. Buz Landry: Buy gas in Lampasas to save money. Control Tower: some in state have closed, used equipment is available at less cost. Brandon Currey: Did we look at landing fees? Don Pfiester: We did but how would we collect it; how to implement it? It could drive away planes. This is not viable at the airport. Howard Fomby: It’s very difficult to account for landing. Fred List: According to Mr. List’s figures, airport looses money. Don Pfiester: Motion to approve the funding recommendations to Council for fiscal year 2003: - 5% increase in T-Hangar and Tiedowns - 5¢ increase in retail avgas margin - 5¢ increase in wholesale fuel margin Howard Fomby: Seconded. Dennis Daley: Insure that action is fair and equitable Mark Dietz: Determine what costs are. Do not have sufficient information to determine why we need the additional $45,000.00. Don’t know if there are other ways to generate revenues. Motion approved 7-0. 7. Consideration of and possible action on recommending to the City Council changes to the Airport Rates and Charges necessary to fund the Control Tower Project and an effective date. Tower funding is subject to change depending on any new revenue source s. Mark Dietz: 1 1/2 times creates a large surplus Howard Fomby: need to challenge staff as to where the numbers come from Mark Dietz: may be able to charge Land Lessees for tower. Should only pay what is absolutely necessary. Don Pfiester: Proposed rates and fee increases are: +10% T-Hangar, Tiedown; + 9¢ gas; + 12¢ jet fuel; F.F. to 35¢ Keith Peshak: Airport profits go to the general fund. Accelerated depreciation. Common conclusion, the numbers are wrong. There needs to be an independent audit. It is discriminatory. People that use the airport must pay for it. Charge a landing fee. Fred List: No objective presentation as to safety. The plan is discriminatory, Council needs to provide funding. Dennis Daley: Should we revisit the tower issue? Jerry Fye: Not in favor of this. Mark Dietz: Council has already decided there needs to be a tower. New Council action to increase revenues. Howard Fomby: Proposed rates are only projected. Board should continue to review rates. Beth Jenkins: Should look at staff costs; no bookkeeper. Council should revisit the no -growth issue. Should lease the 3 lots that we have developed. Reduce staff costs. Airshow: $25K to 50K to help equip the tower. Mike Zucker: Safety issue is critical if Council approves the se recommendations, revenues will drop. Airport will be closed. Hurt a lot of people. Airport is of real value to the City. Action is about to terminate the airport. Airport creates jobs. Penny Burt: When was B/C ration calculated? What was the number of operation? Jerry Fye: Does anyone make a motion? Howard Fomby: Motions to recommendation to City Council the new rates and charges for fund a tower. Increase T-Hangar & Tiedown rates 15% and Increase F.F.F. to .37 per gallon. Seconded by Don Pfiester. Mark Dietz: I cannot support. Needs more time to study 2003 Budget. This item is not time critical. Need to study staff’s numbers. John Bader: Bad feeling; not drive customers away; A-21 grant possible, L.L. surcharge possible. More comfortable if we had more information as to what we are paying for. We have time to do more study with staff. Need to review Council’s action about no more land leases. Dennis Fomby: not comfortable with costs Jeff Gilbert: Do we have the time to consider this item further? Would this delay the construction? Mark Dietz: Have we examined all the revenue sources? Motion to Table this item for further study with staff. Seconded by Jerry Fye. Committee did a good job needs more study. Vote: 7-0 passes. Don Pfiester: Continue to use the subcommittee to further investigate numbers Mark Dietz: Be able to present several funding scenarios to Council. Don Pfiester: Recommendations need to be fluid, need to justify the amount to be generated. 8. Consideration of and possible action on requesting Council approval to form an Airport Security Sub-Committee. Jerry Fye: We must wait 6 months before presenting to Council again: on or after June 11, 2002. Motion by Jerry Fye and Seconded by John Bader: that an Airport Security Sub-Committee be formed. Howard Fomby: What is security? What are we concerned about? Tim Sullivan: You can drive on the airport 24 hours a day. It’s different now since 9-11-01. Don Pfiester: Limiting access? Tim Sullivan: Not sure. Card System. Jerry Fye: How to define scope? Mark Dietz: If Council approves, wait and come back to the Board. Approved 7-0. 9. Citizens Wishing to Address the Board. A. B. Keith Peshak: Notice of illegal business operation at the Airport in violation of lease, without council variance, bypassing payment of local sales taxes and association with Travis McLain. Jerry violated state law and Roberts Rules of Order 10. Consideration and Possible Action on Agenda Items for the June 24, 2002, meetin g. The Sub-Committee meet prior to June 24, 2002 and meet with the City. Mark Dietz to attend. Don Pfiester will call committee in regard to the June meeting. Tower Funding: committee look at costs also. Airport Security B/C Ratio in Managers report 11. Adjourn. Motion by Mark Dietz and Seconded by Howard Fomby to adjourn. Motion carried 7-0. Submitted by: Travis McLain Airport Director Reviewed by: Howard Fomby Board Secretary