HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_AIRAB_01.26.2004
Minutes of the Meeting of
the Airport Advisory Board
City of Georgetown, Texas
Monday, January 26, 2004
The Airport Advisory Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Monday , January 26, 2004.
Members Present:
Arnold Wieder, Don Pfiester, Howard Fomby, John Bader, Mark Dietz, Tim Sullivan
Members Absent:
None. (Note: Jeff Gilbert has resigned.)
Staff Present:
Travis McLain
Minutes
Regular Meeting
1. Call to order.
Chairman Mark Dietz called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.
2. Consideration and Approval of Minutes of November 24, 2003, meeting.
Don Pfiester: Motion to approve the Minutes of November 24, 2003.
Howard Fomby: I second the motion.
Motion approved 6-0.
3. Airport Manager’s Report:
A. November and December 2003 Monthly Income and Expense Reports
Travis McLain: Two monthly reports, because we did not meet in December. Any questions?
Mark Dietz: I have a question on the Year to date gross sells are up 18%, but revenue is down
2%, November is down 9% on fuel sales.
Howard Fomby: I think one of the problems is the Dec. 2002 YTD, that total is wrong. Add Dec.
2002 & Nov. 2002, but you’re missing the Oct. 2002. That threw your calculations off.
Travis McLain: Your right. I will make those corrections.
Tim Sullivan: Is the annual accrual once a year?
Travis McLain: Yes.
Don Pfiester: I noticed airport maintenance is up about one thousand, did you have a problem?
Travis McLain: I had to buy hose reels to the pumps, more heavy duty. AvFuel did pay for half
the costs.
Mark Dietz: Is AvFuel who we actually buy the gas from? Is their contract almost up? Do you
have any problems with them?
Travis McLain: Yes, that is who we buy our gas from. Their contract goes before Council
tomorrow night. They do a really good job.
Tim Sullivan: We lost one tiedown and one hangar?
Travis McLain: What happened with the T-Hangar, was that we got a late cancellation and
because of the holidays it took a lot of phone tag calling 10 people till I finally found a person on
the waiting list who was interested right then. He is now in.
Tim Sullivan: What happens to those that turn you down?
Travis McLain: What we do, if they are not ready, we call them the next time. What had
happened was that 3 people had their planes in Taylor and got a hangar there; so I take them off
the list. If they say they are not ready, don’t have a plane yet, sold their plane, then we leave
them on the list. Currently have approximately 100 on the waiting list.
B. Report on Noise Study and Master Plan update
Travis McLain:
Noise Study: The Public Hearing on the Compatibility chapter will be February 19, 2004, 6-8:00
p.m., at the Georgetown Municipal Complex, 300 Industrial Avenue. Public comment will be
received, written and certified by a court reporter. Coffman has 60 days to respond and then they
send it to Council for approval and then the FAA. Each of you will get an e-mail from Betty-Jo
reminding you of the meeting. The Noise Exposure Map is still with the FAA, we found out that is
has to be published in the federal register and we received an email from TxDOT the notice will
be published late next week. As soon as they publish it in the federal register, the FAA signs it
and the Noise Exposure Map accepted, the FAA sends to TxDOT and then TxDOT to the city.
Then we advertise it in the newspaper three times to give the public a chance to come by and
look at the document.
Master Plan Update: On the Master Plan Update Planning Advisory Committee:
a. Council: Kirby, Snell, Sansing
b. Airport Advisory Board: Dietz, Pfiester, Sullivan
c. Residents: Penny Burt, Kathy Heidemann
d. Staff: Tom Yantis, Travis McLain, Ed Polesak
e. TxDOT: Michelle Hannah
There will be four Council Workshop Dates: Feb. 9, Apr. 12, May 10, and Jun. 7, to be held at
1:30 p.m. at City Hall.
P.A.C. meetings: Feb. 9, 1:30 p.m. at City Hall.
All this information (dates, times, meeting locations) is on the Website.
This would be the Board’s opportunity to discuss getting the control tower into the Master Plan.
C. Airport Emergency Procedures
Travis McLain: We have two types of incidents at the Airport – 1) those that are anticipated and 2)
those that are not anticipated.
The one incident we had in question, the pilot radioed in, talked to us, Police & Fire were notified
and on hand, a plane mechanic was on the radio talking to the pilot, so we made every effort to
do anything we can to alleviate the problem and/or bring him down as best we can with
emergency vehicles on hand including a medical ambulance. If we have an incident that is not
anticipated, where the plane forgets to put his gear down or it collapses, and no one knows about
it till it happens, the fuel attendants on duty immediately call 9 -1-1 and Fire and Police are
dispatched and attendants stay on the Unicom radio and keep traffic off the runway so no one
lands on top of them.
D. General Information Items
Travis McLain: There is a Central Texas Regional Airport meeting in Hutto on Jan. 27. 2004, at
6:30 p.m. at the Hutto City Hall.
Travis McLain: Tim had asked about the following updates:
1. Phone Booth: There is no light in the phone booth because there is no electricity
in the phone booth. I did go by at 10:pm and there is enough ambient light to dial the phone.
2. Hangar Information – Police & Fire: they have been furnished a notebook of
maps, addresses, hangars, building locations, etc.
Mark Dietz: Arnold, you had a tower issue.
Arnold Wieder: I would like to see a subcommittee to study the need to have better air traffic
control. That’s the closest I’ve seen two airplanes together.
Tim Sullivan: I thought both had plenty of time to change. The jet kept on go ing. I don’t know
how fast things could happen, but I did not think it was that close.
Arnold Wieder: Two planes (jet and turbo prop) landing at the same time is very dangerous.
Don Pfiester: The board should address safety issues. A subcommittee is a go od idea. I would
like to see other people than the board, people that are at the airport (EAA guys).
Tim Sullivan: The place it belongs is in the Master Plan. A control tower would be the safest, but I
am worried if the Central Texas Airport could effect the need for a tower.
Arnold Wieder: The issue is that better traffic control improves safety. It is a dangerous situation
that exits now, because the Central Texas Airport will probably not come in existence until 10
years. It’s simply a safety issue.
Tim Sullivan: If it’s part of the Master Plan, the citizens who listen to this will understand it’s a
safety issue, but there will be future costs.
Mark Dietz: Let’s put this on the February agenda.
Howard Fomby: There are some members of the Airport community who do not want a tower.
There are technical and budget issues to look at also.
4. Citizens Wishing to Address the Board
None.
5. Consideration and possible action to recommend land lease rental rates for non -
commercial aircraft storage airport land lease agreements.
Travis McLain: Storage will be with no business activity, just strictly storage. Storage rental rate is
currently .07 per square foot. CPI (Consumer Price Index) adjustments will be calculated accordingly.
Don Pfiester: Motion to recommend that Council set the initial land lease rate for aircraft storage only
at 70% of the commercial land lease rate.
Tim Sullivan: I second the motion.
Motion approved 6-0.
6. Consideration and possible action to recommend that Council grant a construction
extension to Trinity Aviation.
Travis McLain: Trinity has cleaned up their lot and done what the board has asked them to.
Howard Fomby: Motion to recommend that Council approve the extension to the Mandatory
Construction Deadline of Trinity to October 21, 2004, and that no additional extensions be granted.
Tim Sullivan: I second the motion.
Arnold Wieder: I want to comment that there needs to be a limit on the number of extensions.
Motion approved 5-1 (Wieder against).
7. Consideration and possible action to recommend that Council grant a construction
extension to Microfusion Inc.
Chairman Dietz recused himself due to a possible conflict of interest. Vice Chairman Fomby to
conduct the discussion.
Travis McLain: Mr. Minarovic’s letter is self-explanatory. He’s moving along good, and made a deal
with Simmons to remove some of his fill to his site. Building permit has been approved and now able
to proceed.
Arnold Wieder: Motion to recommend to Council to approve the extension of the mandatory
construction deadline to Microfusion Inc. to July 31, 2004.
Don Pfiester: I second the motion.
Motion carried 5-0 (Dietz recused).
8. Report on the Aviation Museum.
Howard Fomby: I have talked with Jeff Gilbert, he’s talked to people with the Smithsonian Museum to
define this museum, to include staffing and acquiring exhibits. Since last meeting, Council approved
city staff to work with us. We have commitment from Mrs. Browning (one of the first female aviators)
to underwrite the first phase and Michelle Hannah of TxDOT to do whatever possible to accomplish
and fund this project. There are other people who are willing to donate $500,000.00 to $1,000,000.00
collectively. I have sources that have a variety of antique aircraft and they would be interested in
donating to the museum. A lot of patrons from Sun City would be interested in working pretty
aggressively.
Mark Dietz: I think you need to form an entity (foundation) created to guaran tee Mrs. Browning’s gift.
I will help with the legal work.
Don Pfiester: Motion to form a Subcommittee of Mark Dietz and Howard Fomby to prepare an agenda
and set a meeting date.
Howard Fomby: Any of you that want to participate I would greatly embrace your assistance.
Tim Sullivan: I second the motion.
Motion approved 6-0.
9. Discuss meeting with selected Central Texas Airports.
Travis McLain: I provided you with list of Airport and their board members. Killeen Airport does not
have an Airport Advisory Board, they’ve never had one. The Killeen Director said they would still like
to participate with staff.
Tim Sullivan: It looks like all we have to do if pick a date and a place.
Mark Dietz: It looks like we’re pretty central to everyone. We need to ask two representatives from
each board for the meeting. Meet at the Georgetown Municipal Airport. Make and agenda and pick a
Saturday date to extend the invitation in early April.
Don Pfiester: Motion to form a subcommittee of Pfiester, Dietz, Fomby and Travis to canvas a
meeting date and a letter from Chairman Dietz.
Arnold Wieder: I second the motion.
Motion approved 6-0.
10. Discuss Airport Economic Impact Study.
Don Pfiester: I would like to see it on the website.
Travis McLain: It is on the Airport website – “Economic Impact of General Aviation”, a direct link to
TxDOT.
Don Pfiester: If I’m coming in on Economic Development, I would like to see it listed under Economic
Development as well, not just Airport. I also think it should be printed in the newspaper.
Mark Dietz: I will talk to Clark Thurmond and Fomby to talk Mark Thomas, the Economic
Development Director. Travis you make sure to get out as many copies as necessary.
11. Consideration and Possible Action for setting Date and Agenda Items for the February 23,
2004, meeting.
Mark Dietz: Agenda Items for the February meeting:
A. Discuss Aviation Museum
B. Discuss meeting – area Airport Advisory Boards
C. Discuss Economic Impact Study
D. Discuss Air Traffic Control Tower
E. Discuss Directional Signs at the Airport
12. Adjourn.
Arnold Wieder: I move that we adjourn.
Don Pfiester: I Second.
Motion approved 6-0.
Submitted by:
Travis McLain
Airport Director
Reviewed by:
Tim Sullivan
Board Secretary