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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_AIRAB_10.17.2005 Minutes of the Meeting of the Airport Advisory Board City of Georgetown, Texas Monday, October 17, 2005 The Airport Advisory Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Monday , October 17, 2005. Members Present: Arnold Wieder, Don Pfiester, Howard Fomby, John Bader, Mark Dietz, Tim Sullivan Members Absent: Chris Cagle Staff Present: Travis McLain (Note: Chris Cagle has resigned.) 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 September 19, 2005, meeting. Don Pfiester: Motion to approve the minutes of September 19, 2005. Tim Sullivan: I second the motion. Motion approved 6-0. 3. Airport Manager’s Report: September 2005 Monthly Income and Expense Reports Travis McLain: September is the end of the fiscal year. Note: Year end totals are un-audited. Accounting figures are not available until December 2005. Don Pfiester: Do FBO’s still get a 10% discount on prepaid fuel and do many of them use that? Travis McLain: Yes. The flight schools are the main users. Don Pfiester: What about the jet people? Travis McLain: No. The FBO’s with jets, the mark up is $0.25 per gallon. We bill them and they pay the net amount in 10 days. Don Pfiester: My concern is that in September we sold 76,000 gallons of gas (Avgas & Jet -A) and we made $4,500.00 gross profit. How do we get to $0.06 per gallon profits? Travis McLain: Remember, several months ago I explained that when fuel prices increase our margin gets squeezed but when prices go down our margin increases. Don Pfiester: We sold 2.2 million gallons of fuel and made $104,000.00. Is this revenue minus expense? Travis McLain: That is the net revenue. Don Pfiester: So if a flight school does the 10% discount ($0.40/savings/gallon), then the City only makes $0.15 per gallon. Then we take out expenses, I think we are losing money on the discount. I do not think the City should be subsidizing anybody on fuel sales; it did not matter when fuel was $1.50. But now we are up to almost $4.00 and it seems to encroach on the $0.55 markup we have. I may be off base because I do not know all the details; I’m just throwing this out for discussion. Travis McLain: I can do a detail study of fuel prices for the next meeting. Howard Fomby: I think that’s a good idea. If gas prices go over $5.00/gallon, you are actually losing money on sales. Howard Fomby: The good news is that this airport made a profit of $200,000.00 in the Airport Fund. Don Pfiester: Yes and it did not cost anything to the City of Georgetown. Report on Noise Study and Master Plan Update None. Report on Council Actions Travis McLain: The City Council approved the assignment of the airport ground lease with Clark Thurmond to the Williamson County Sun. Report on Control Tower Travis McLain: The plans and specs are being reviewed by Development Services and Building Inspections. Planning & Zoning will meet on November 1, 2005 in regard to the Airport Rezoning (to include the tower height). City Council will consider that ordinance on November 8, 2005 and November 22, 2005. Tim Sullivan: When is the Airport Advisory Board workshop with City Council? Travis McLain: November 7, 2005. General Information Items Travis McLain: Avgas pump price increased to $3.95 on October 1, 2005. Also, the Wayfinding Sign bid was advertised on October 10, 2005 and scheduled to be opened on October 31, 2005. Mark Dietz: As a matter of personal privilege, I wanted to advise the Board that Chris Cagle ha d to resign last month. He will no longer be attending our meetings. I think it would be appropriate to review his performance and thank him for his time. Also, the Mayor has written a letter in regard to member attendance. The Mayor’s letter emphasized the importance of attending all scheduled board meetings. Tim Sullivan: Will the Mayor be assigning someone to take his place and will the board have to give recommendation on his replacement? Mark Dietz: I do not know. He had a 2-year term. Travis McLain: Chris’s letter of resignation has been sent to the City of Georgetown. Tim Sullivan: I would let the Mayor know that we would like to see his position filled as soon as possible. Gabe Sansing: (Councilmember) The Mayor will make an announcem ent at the next City Council meeting that a vacancy exits on the Airport Advisory Board. 4. Citizens Wishing to Address the Board None. 5. Discussion and possible action on recommendation for Rules & Regulations and Minimum Standards. Don Pfiester: In the Rules & Regulations, page 15 of 35, item F, delete “except in” located before “offices”. Don Pfiester: Motion to approve the Rules & Regulations and Minimum Standards as amended. Howard Fomby: I second the motion. Tim Sullivan: Will the Rules & Regulations and Minimum Standards become part of the ordinance, assuming City Council approves? Mark Dietz: Correct. Motion approved 6-0. 6. Discuss the Airport Safety Observation Report and Methods to Promote Airport Safety. Arnold Wieder: There are no Airport Safety Observation Reports for the month of October. 7. Discuss Airport Museum. Howard Fomby: Currently we are awaiting a response as to whether they will be going with the City of Austin or the City of Georgetown, perhaps within the next two weeks. I feel optimistic that they will go with Georgetown for the Airport Museum. 8. Discuss updating the Airport Business Direction signs. Travis McLain: We are waiting for bids to open at the end of October. 9. Consideration and possible action to recommend the Airport 5 – Year Strategic Plan to the City Council. Don Pfiester: Tim, Arnold, Travis and I met on the Airport 5-Year Strategic Plan. Basically we decided to look at all the items in the Master Plan and Noise Study that require action and safety; and frontload those items primarily into 2006 and some into 2007. Travis McLain: (Presentation of a map/diagram to help illustrate the Georgetown Municipal Airport Five-Year Strategic Plan items under discussion). Don Pfiester: The idea on most of these items is to bring the City of Georgetown in compliance with FAA regulations and to promote safety. Mark Dietz: Any additions that the subcommittee came up with that they did not add to the plan? Don Pfiester: No. Mark Dietz: Does anyone have any additions they would like to see added to the Strategic Plan? Howard Fomby: If the museum project moves forward and City Council has made some commitments for infrastructure contributions, funding may move some of these proj ects forward. Tim Sullivan: What is the timeframe for the museum? Howard Fomby: Fairly quickly (FY ’07). Time will be of the essence according to the primary donor. Arnold Wieder: Motion we adopt the 5-Year Strategic Plan. Tim Sullivan: I second the motion. Motion approved 6-0. 10. Discussion and possible action on the rezoning of the Airport as related to the Air Traffic Control Tower. Mark Dietz: For those of you that don’t know, there was an attempt to have the board of adjustment rule on the issue associated with the control tower height. That issue was defeated, and because it was, the alternative is rezoning the airport. I want to make sure the board is aware of the Planning & Zoning meeting on November 1, 2005 in regard to the Airport Rezoning. W e need to take a positive stance in relaying information to the Zoning Board. Don Pfiester: Do we need to attend the Planning & Zoning meeting and do we have to get on the agenda in order to speak? Howard Fomby: Yes you need to sign in to speak. I am interested in attending. Tim Sullivan: I think as many of us as possible should attend. Don Pfiester: Can we get an e-mail from Airport Staff in regard to agenda? Travis McLain: Yes, I will send out an e-mail advising of the board of time and location. Mark Dietz: Does this Board want to take any formal action? Don Pfiester: I think we should write a letter or resolution emphasizing what we ’re trying to get done and why. Howard Fomby: This is one of the most discussed public projects in the history of Georgetow n, Texas. It’s had extensive public meetings and tremendous opportunity for the public to way in on the impact of the structure of the control tower. Mark Dietz: One issue with the height of the control tower is the location of the rotating beacon on top of the control tower and the impact of the intermittent flashing will have on the nearby neighborhoods. My understanding is that the rotating beacon on the new tower is of a different design than of a traditional beacon. Perhaps PBS&J can address the eng ineering aspects of the new beacon and its impact on the surrounding homes? Howard Fomby: I would like to make a recommendation that this Board supports the efforts of the Planning & Zoning Committee to rezone the Airport to allow the construction of the airport control tower to protect the safety of the airport patrons and the surrounding co mmunity. Don Pfiester: The airport is currently zoned residential and it should be zoned industrial. Is that correct? Travis McLain: Yes, it should be Industrial P.U.D. Don Pfiester: Do they have height restrictions? Travis McLain: Yes, sixty-five (65) feet. Travis McLain: The rezoning is changing the Airport from residential to industrial P.U.D. with the stipulation that the control tower be allowed to built up to the height where it needs to be. Don Pfiester: I think we need to emphasize the height of the control tower and the rezoning of the airport changed from residential to industrial. Howard Fomby: I accept that stipulation. Howard Fomby: Motion for Resolution: This Board supports the rezoning of the Airport property to Industrial P.U.D. with the variance to allow the control tower height to exceed the present 35 -foot height restriction. Arnold Wieder: I second the motion. Motion approved 6-0. 11. Discussion and possible action on the identification of agenda items for the Joint Airport Advisory Board Meeting with Georgetown City Council. Mark Dietz: Item for discussion: A. 5-Year Strategic Plan B. Airport Rezoning C. Safety Observation Reports D. Airport Security Audit/Update E. Fiscal Report F. Statement of Appreciation Tim Sullivan: I would like to see City Council direct the Georgetown Police Department to come in and look at the security system put in place two years ago and see how effective they are and if any changes should be made rather than form a subcommittee. I think the Police are the proper agency that should give recommendation. Arnold Wieder: Travis does the Georgetown Police Department have the capability of remotely accessing the airport security system? Travis McLain: Yes, that is the original plan but we discovered that there are proprietary issues with the software. It is still on their list, but is on hold until the software proprietary issues are resolved. Tim Sullivan: When we had our airport security committee meeting, the Assistant Police Chief was involved. I think the Georgetown Police Department should be involved again rather than form another committee. Mark Dietz: Do we want to put the entire 5-Year Strategic Plan? Don Pfiester: Yes. Howard Fomby: (on the matter of the letter of appreciation) We seldom get together as a group to take the opportunity to appreciate the efforts of the City Council and our Mayor have made towards airport issues. 12. Consideration and possible action for setting Agenda Items for the November 21, 2005, meeting. Mark Dietz: Items for the November 2005 agenda: A. Discussion and possible action on recommendation for Rules & Regulations and Minimum Standards. B. Discussion and possible action of the Airport Safety Observation Report and Methods to Promote Airport Safety. C. Discuss Airport Museum. D. Discussion and possible action on updating the Airport Business Direction Signs. E. Consideration and possible action to recommend the Airport 5-Year Strategic Plan to the City Council. F. Discussion and possible action on the rezoning of the Airport as related to the Air Traffic Control Tower. G. Discussion and possible action on the recommendations of the meeting of the Joint A irport Advisory Board with Georgetown City Council. H. Discussion and possible action on fuel prices and the 10% discount. 13. Adjourn. Don Pfiester: Motion that we adjourn. John Bader: I second the motion. Motion approved 6-0. Adjourned: 8:08 P.M. Submitted by: Travis McLain Airport Director Approved: Attest: ___________________________ __________________________ Mark Dietz, Chairman Arnold Wieder, Board Secretary