HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_AIRAB_07.18.2005
Minutes of the Meeting of
the Airport Advisory Board
City of Georgetown, Texas
Monday, July 18, 2005
The Airport Advisory Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Monday , July 18, 2005.
Members Present:
Arnold Wieder, Chris Cagle, Howard Fomby, John Bader, Mark Dietz, Tim Sullivan
Members Absent:
Don Pfiester
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 June 20, 2005, meeting.
Tim Sullivan: Motion to approve the minutes of June 20, 2005.
Chris Cagle: I second the motion.
Motion approved 6-0.
3. Airport Manager’s Report:
June 2005 Monthly Income and Expense Reports
Travis McLain: We had a good month for fuel (2005 y.t.d. vs. 2004 y.t.d.). There were no IFR
days in June.
Travis McLain: We did have expenses of contract mowing (drainage ditches) and T -Hangar door
repairs.
Report on Noise Study and Master Plan Update
Noise Study:
Travis McLain: Copies of the FAA’s Record of Approval (ROA) were provided in your packets. I
checked with TxDOT and the FAA whether a follow up response was required. No response is
required from the City on the ROA, and there is no timeframe on funding. However, it is subject
to the availability of funds to the FAA. They do recommend that if you have any extreme changes
in airport operations that you update your Part 150 every five years.
MasterPlan:
Travis McLain: The public hearing and City Council action will be on July 26, 2005, at the City
Council Chambers, I will advise you on the time as soon as the agenda is posted.
Report on Council Actions
Travis McLain: City Council approved the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) request for rent free lease to
Hangar F6. City Council also approved the amendment to the Microfusion Land Lease at 302
Wright Brothers Drive, extending the Mandatory Construction Deadline to December 31, 2005.
Report on Control Tower
Travis McLain: The Control Tower site plan and design is in progress. Here is the architectural
style the committee chose An architectural drawing was circulated to the board members; they will
use the same rock texture as the Terminal building. The estimated completion is October 1, 2006.
General Information Items
Travis McLain: There is a copy of the City’s response on the Aviation Museum . There were
diagrams from the City’s GIS system, (Geographic Information System - a digital mapping system
that allows users to create and view an unlimited variety of geographic information) that I was not
able to copy.
Arnold Wieder: Do we as an Advisory Board get involved in this process in any way shape or
form?
Travis McLain: City Council has already taken this project over.
Howard Fomby: Tom Yantis (Assistant City Manager) and Paul Brandenburg (City Manager) are
the primary contacts for the City of Georgetown. We have no official or voting authority in the
decision. My understanding is that they will be giving the City of Georgetown an answer in 1 -2
months. I imagine at some point the Board will be brought into this to make the project more
successful.
(9.) Discussion and possible action on the Central Texas Regional Airport.
Mark Dietz: I would like to move item No. 9 up on the agenda. I have invited Mayor John Cowman
(City of Leander) to come talk to us about the Central Texas Regional Airport.
John Cowman: (Mayor of Leander) Thank you. I was reading the Williamson County Sun and noticed
that all the cities were saying no to a new Central Texas Airport. I contacted the Aviation Division of
TxDOT and asked them what they needed (800 acres). I advised them we have property just north of
Leander off of Highway 183 -- at the intersection of FM 3405 (not in the City of Leander, not in the
City of Georgetown, not in the City of Liberty Hill), basically between them – in the County. Next I
contacted Mayor Gary Nelon of Georgetown and Mayor Pro-Tem Charles Canady of Liberty Hill
about my proposal. All agreed to work with me on this project. The first meeting on my proposal was
at the capitol with State Representative Dan Gattis, State Representative Mike Krusee, Congressman
Carter’s Office, TxDOT, Capital Metro, and the three landowners involved. TxDOT hired Wilbur Smith
to asses the potential site. A second meeting was attended by Judge John Doerfler (Williamson
County), TxDOT, and FAA, AOPA (Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association), and the Texas Aviation
Association. A bill in support of funding a new Central Texas Airport was progressing through the
Texas legislature. It made out of committee and died with the end of the present legislative term. We
talked about the possibility of sponsorship. The FAA advised that they had appropriations of 100%
for this endeavor. I am now attempting to create a JAZB (Joint Airport Zoning Board) where a county
joins with cities in the decision making process. TxDOT will be meeting with the landowners in mid-
August.
Tim Sullivan: Do you have a timeline?
John Cowman: (Mayor of Leander) About four years from construction to actual operation. Right now
TxDOT is conducting environmental assessments. The site checks out OK (east of Parmer Lane).
Chris Cagle: Do the FAA funds include land acquisition, building of the structure and maintenance?
John Cowman: (Mayor of Leander) I do not know.
Arnold Wieder: Dave Fulton said during the public discussion in Taylor to ye ars ago, that the new
Central Texas Airport would have a tower.
Chris Cagle: How close is this to the traffic pattern and how will this affect the Kittie Hill Airport?
John Cowman: (Mayor of Leander) I do not know how this will affect Kittie Hill Airport, I have not
investigated it. The proposed location is about five miles to the north of Kittie Hill Airport.
Chris Cagle: How many acres of land will this project require?
John Cowman: (Mayor of Leander) TxDOT says it will require 600 -850 acres. There is only one
person to be displaced.
Howard Fomby: First, thank you for your leadership in doing this project. We are maxed out as an
airport and cannot expand our runways. As a pilot this would be a great alternative runway.
John Cowman: (Mayor of Leander) T his is not my project, but rather a TxDOT endeavor. The new
Central Texas Airport will be for general aviation use, and will not be a cargo facility.
Arnold Wieder: I’d like to offer my encouragement. There are more people involved in the project
now than when TxDOT met with the City of Taylor a few years ago. There are now more
organizations working to make this project a reality.
John Cowman: (Mayor of Leander) I have received 36 negative comments about the potential site
selection for the new Central Texas Airport, and have tried to address each of them.
Howard Fomby: This may be the last chance to find land to build an airport in Central Texas. Airport
revenue must stay at the airport. There is no financial advantage for one city to own it over the other.
The advantages are the spin-offs to all the cities.
John Cowman: (Mayor of Leander) It will be good for Williamson County and the surrounding cities to
situate a Regional Airport there.
Mark Dietz: Thank you Mayor Cowman.
4. Citizens Wishing to Address the Board
None.
5. Discussion and Possible action on recommendation for Airport Layout Plan, Rules &
Regulations and Minimum Standards.
Arnold Wieder: I did review the rules and regulations, minimum standards and talked with Chuck
Willis about them. I compared the Board’s draft with the versions that Mr. Willis e-mailed to me. I
found some changes, most notably in definitions (additions to the definitions).
Mark Dietz: Mr. Willis needs to complete the final draft in order for the Board to evaluate. I would
suggest you communicate to him, and ask him when he will be finished with them.
Tim Sullivan: Mr. Willis will be here on July 26, 2005. Can he make copies for the Board to review
prior to our meeting in August?
Mark Dietz: Arnold, if you could give us a report at your earliest opportunity (by e -mail) to report to the
Board.
Arnold Wieder: Sure.
6. Discussion on the Updated Master Plan.
No Action.
7. Discuss the Airport Safety Observation Report and Methods to Promote Airport Safety.
Arnold Wieder: We received two new Safety Observation Reports for the month of June. The first
report concerned a final approach to the airport where the pilot on f inal approach was told that “this
was a training airport,” and that “we do not allow long finals.” The reporting pilot describes how he
had to perform a missed approach and then force himself to land because both aircrafts were
converging over runway 18 even though he and the other pilot declared missed approaches. The
reporting pilot made a comment that he hopes the tower comes soon. The second Airport Safety
Observation Report concerns two flight instructors. The report states one instructor did not
communicate on the radio at all. The other instructor and his student communicated continually:
announcing their position as they flew the pattern; practicing engine out procedures. They found
themselves in conflict with the other aircraft even though the y were landing on the active runway as
indicated by the windsock. The non-communicating instructor flew an opposing pattern to a final
approach to the runway. The reporting individual talked with the other instructor after the incident.
The instructor claimed not to have done anything wrong. Once again, we are receiving reports
concerning a lack of communication in the airport traffic pattern. I think, as a minimum, we need to
run this by Don Dison (FAA Safety Representative) for his information.
Howard Fomby: VFR pilots do not always understand IFR approaches.
8. Discuss Airport Museum.
Howard Fomby: The City Council voted unanimously to support the Airport Museum. (Letter sent by
Tom Yantis – attached)
9. Discussion and possible action on the Central Texas Regional Airport.
(Discussed earlier)
10. Discuss meeting with the Central Texas Airport Advisory Boards.
John Bader: I spoke with the City of Burnet and they are interested in hosting the next meeting
sometime in September, 2005 (options for dates). Topics for discussion:
a. Central Texas Regional Airport
b. Security (Tim Sullivan)
c. Noise Study (Arnold Wieder)
d. Master Plan
John Bader: The plan is to draft a letter, email a copy to the Board for comments and corrections.
Then finalize the letter and mail the letters on Friday (July 22nd).
11. Discuss updating the Airport Business Direction signs.
John Bader: Last meeting we discussed talking to the company that put up the signs around the City
of Georgetown.
Mark Dietz: One of the things we discussed was for the company to tell us what we could do. We
would like to see in writing, what type of signage as well as signage on the taxiw ays showing where
the companies are located on the airport.
Travis McLain: Do other airports put directional signs on taxiways for FBO ’s?
Mark Dietz: Some do and some don’t.
Travis McLain: I’ve never seen one. The signs are so restrictive as to design. We have some
directional signs if they are willing to pay for them. Those that did not pay for them do not have them.
I worked with Baker Signs; it was difficult to come up with a design to meet the FAA guidelines, so we
did not put up a sign that would tear up an airplane. Pilots do not always read the signs. Building
signs are not a problem; we just need to wait on Council approval.
Chris Cagle: We mentioned putting stripes down the centerline reflection on the sub taxiway. Could
this be a good community service project for the CAP cadets?
Travis McLain: I would rather not have those kids on the taxiways. To get those reflectors epoxied in
the right place is not as simple as it sounds, even the professionals can make errors. We have
centerline reflectors on the main taxiways, just not on the stub taxiways. That could be done on the
Ramp program which is 50-50 with TxDOT.
Arnold Wieder: I mentioned to Tom Yantis about the possibility of the new logo going over the marker
at the entry of the airport on Terminal Drive.
Travis McLain: We currently have a unique sign depicting the commemorative stamp of the Wright
Brothers.
Chris Cagle: I think the Wright Brothers will be fine.
John Bader: Yes. I do not think we should alter that sign.
12. Consideration and Possible Action for setting Agenda Items for the August 15, 2005,
meeting.
Mark Dietz: Items for the August 2005 agenda:
A. Discussion and possible action on recommendation for Airport Layout Plan, Rules & Regulations
and Minimum Standards.
B. Discussion on the Updated Master Plan.
C. Discussion and possible action of the Airport Safety Observation Report and Methods to Promote
Airport Safety.
D. Discuss Airport Museum.
E. Discuss and possible action on the Central Texas Regional Airport.
F. Discussion and possible action on meeting with the Central Texas Airport Advisory Boards.
G. Discussion and possible action on updating the Airport Business Direction Signs.
13. Adjourn.
Mark Dietz: Motion that we adjourn.
Tim Sullivan: I second the motion.
Motion approved 6-0.
Adjourned: 8:20 P.M.
Submitted by:
Travis McLain
Airport Director
Approved: Attest:
___________________________ __________________________
Mark Dietz, Chairman Arnold Wieder, Board Secretary