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