Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_AIRAB_02.20.2006 Minutes of the Meeting of the Airport Advisory Board City of Georgetown, Texas Monday, February 20, 2006 The Airport Advisory Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Monday , February 20, 2006. Members Present: Arnold Wieder, Don Pfiester, Howard Fomby, John Bader, Mark Dietz, Tim Sullivan Members Absent: None. 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 January 16, 2006, meeting. Tim Sullivan: Motion to approve the minutes of January 16, 2006. Don Pfiester: I second the motion. Motion approved 6-0. 3. Airport Manager’s Report: January 2006 Monthly Income and Expense Reports Travis McLain: Fuel sales are steady. Also the FBO’s are holding steady according to 4th quarter sales taxes collected. Don Pfiester: I noticed equipment/maintenance on the Airport Operations was up; can you explain? Travis McLain: Yes Sir, I had to get the dual altimeters certified (every two years) which was about $300.00, in case the AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System) goes down. Howard Fomby: It looks like we had a good year. Report on Noise Study and Master Plan Update None. (Waiting for the FAA response to Obstruction Mitigation proposal – FAA Form 7460-1) Report on Council Actions Travis McLain: The City Council approved: 1) five new board members, they have Board Orientation on February 22, 2006. 2) The Mayor appointed Paul Smith as Airport Advisory Board chairman. Report on Control Tower Travis McLain: The plans and specs are completed. TxDOT will advertise for construction bids soon. The schedule for tower completion is now estimated to have the tower operational by December 2006. General Information Items Travis McLain: 1) Airport Signs: they opened the bids for the big highway signs today (February 20, 2006), but the bid opening for City and Airport metal signs will be March 22, 2006; 2) Georgetown Police Dept. Security Audit: We are waiting for their report; 3) Emergency Access Road & PAPI update: will be started this Spring. 4) We have three of the new board members here this evening. Mark Dietz: Welcomed Mr. Daryl Dressler, Paul Smith, and Katherine Woods. 4. Citizens Wishing to Address the Board None. 5. Discussion FY 2006-2007 Budget Process with Finance and provide input to Council. Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) I am Micki Rundell and this is Laurie Brewer of the City’s Finance Division. We are here on our annual outreach where we visit all the boar ds and commissions. This year is a little different, included in our survey (CITY OF GEORGETOWN – 2006/07 BUDGET PROCESS Boards & Commission Feedback, eleven multiple choice questions, identification of one thing the City could do to improve the quality of life in Georgetown) are questions of quality of life: what can the City do to improve the quality of life in Georgetown. Laurie Brewer: (Finance Controller) The last questions (What 3 issues do you feel directly impact your board that you feel the City Council needs to be aware of?) relate specifically to the Airport Board, based on your experience and knowledge of airport issues and how they impacted this board. Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) We ask that you complete these forms and give them to Travi s who will send them to us for submittal directly to the Council. We need these surveys back promptly within the next two weeks. Tim Sullivan: In regard to question No.3, Where do you believe the worst traffic congestion occurs in Georgetown. Who’s in charge of setting the operation of the stop lights? Is that the City Engineer or TxDOT? Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) It depends on the stop light. If the stop light is located on any county or state road, the state is involved. The only stop light the City owns is the Rivery and we set the lights at Rivery Boulevard, at the bridge. Currently all the other stoplights are set and managed by TxDOT. Tim Sullivan: So if a person had a complaint about a stoplight (Hwy. 29 and IH35) as to how they operate, then I would need to contact TxDOT? Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) I would recommend you let Jim Briggs and his staff at Georgetown Utility Systems know and possibly send and email and then they will forward all that information over to TxDOT. Laurie Brewer: (Finance Controller) One thing that Jim ’s staff is working on is as Georgetown’s population becomes larger and larger (about 50,000 people), we will eventually take over the maintenance of all the traffic signals. To have that local control and be able to address things with a quicker response is expected to be a good thing. However, there will be a cost and obligation involved. Arnold Wieder: Meaning our City Taxes will have to rise for this eventuality? Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) Most likely. Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) One of the things I wanted to mention is the Century Plan Update. The Council has allocated resources to begin that process, there will be a lot of public input, as well as the Boards, and Commissions will pla y a viable part and the community. This will be an eighteen month process, we are excited about doing this update, and some of your questions answered will be used for that process. Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) Are there any questions that we can ans wer for you that relates to either the financials or this survey? Don Pfiester: What is the status of the Airport Fund? Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) I did not bring the financials with me, but I can tell you that the Airport is ahead of where it should be due to fuel sales. All of that excess revenue does go into the Airport Fund. It stays there until appropriated by the Council. After your contingency reserve, the Airport has about $406,000.00 in excess revenue. Don Pfiester: What is the contingency reserve? Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) The contingency reserve is currently $150,000.00. We require all operating funds to have some sort of contingency. Arnold Wieder: The figure of $406,000.00, includes what cut-off period? Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) That figure is actually what we projected at the end of FY2006. Laurie Brewer: (Finance Controller) We hope that the control tower will come within budget, and then be able to allocate those funds to other airport needs. Should they not, that ’s certainly a source. We are experiencing cost overruns in all our construction projects. Micki Rundell: (Finance Director) If you’ve read the paper, our Community Center and our new Fire Station were over 25% more than our original estimates. This is due mainly to construction and utility contracts due to material shortages from the Katrina issue. Arnold Wieder: So then we could possibly see a 25% increase in the tower project. Laurie Brewer: (Finance Controller) It’s possible, depending on when the engineering was done. The engineering work being done now is taking that into account. The estimates done a year or eighteen months ago are definitely seeing those overruns. 6. Discussion and possible action on recommendation for Rules & Regulations and Minimum Standards. Mark Dietz: I assume each of you received the new booklet. Does anyone have any comments or thoughts? Tim Sullivan: Did all the FBO’s get a copy or to whom where they distributed to besides us? Travis McLain: Yes, and they are available at the Terminal Building. Mark Dietz: Have the lease holders and tenants at the Airport received a copy? Travis McLain: We have not looked into the expense of mailing those out. Mark Dietz: I know there is a monthly billing that goes to the hangar tenants. Would it be possible to release information to the lease individuals that the Rules & Regulations and Minimum Standards are available? Travis McLain: Yes, and it is also available on the City’s website. 7. Discuss the Airport Safety Observation Report and Methods to Promote Airport Safety. Arnold Wieder: No reports this month. I have also noted that there are more applications and security pamphlets available at the counter in the Terminal lobby. 8. Discuss Airport Museum. Howard Fomby: We had a meeting on January 21, 2006 and met with the Museum Advisory Board. The board likes Georgetown, but the key benefactor likes Austin-Bergstrom. Highway (IH35) frontage is a big factor. So right now, we are waiting a final decision that should be made sometime in February. There are a number of groups that have a strong desire to have a museum located in Georgetown, including the International Swift Association. The group asked by the City Council will continue to work on this project and we will advise the Airport Advisory Board accordingly. Arnold Wieder: The Director of Tourism participated in this project, what are the benefits of having the museum located here as far as tourism goes? Howard Fomby: One of the things we were committed to, was to educate the group as to how many festivals and events occur in Georgetown. The commitment we made as a City was that we would identify the Museum at the Airport and bring people to the museum and it is economically viable. 9. Discussion, comments, and recommendations from out-going Airport Advisory Board members. John Bader: It has been an interesting four years and it’s nice to see three new members here tonight. Three or four years ago, we had a public image problem at the airport. I think that was one of the biggest issues we dealt with. Through a lot of time and effort of members of this Board, City staff, City Council, I feel we’ve done a good job on educating the public about the airport. We ’ve all worked hard and put in a lot of time on the Master Plan Update, Noise Study, Rules & Regulations, and the Control Tower. We’ve enhanced the safety for the citizens, pilots and made the airport a better neighbor. One thing Tim Sullivan worked on was improving the security at the air port (lighting, cameras, signs at the fences, flyers to public and FBO’s). It’s been a real privilege and honor to serve with these gentlemen and work with Travis. I have really enjoyed it. Howard Fomby: When you first start you really have little knowledge of history and your asked to make recommendations to City Council that are brand new to you. It will be double hard on your group because you have five new people coming into a board. I would like to offer help to the new members, feel free to call on any of us if you want some background on an issue. I would encourage all of you to do so. One reason why we were successful as a Board was because we broke out in different kinds of responsibilities that coincided with our respective interest areas. C ertainly from an economic stand point, there has been no one; I have more respect for than Don Pfiester. Don has been the work horse of the group that started four years ago. Mark Dietz has been are legal whiz with his background and tremendous leadership skills. We have been through difficult times and issues. The number one key is to continue communication to the Citizens and City Council of Georgetown. Last fall, I was in HEB (a local supermarket chain store) and one of the opponents of the airport came up to me and said, “I want to thank you guys for all you have done to reach out and communicate these issues in public and educate us; not only have my fears been erased but I have now signed up to take flying lessons because I want to learn what flyi ng is all about.” Finally, from a personal stand point, I have never had the opportunity to work with a finer group of people in my life than this Airport Advisory Board. I love all you guys, it’s been a terrific four years. I look forward to continuing our friendships in the future. Don Pfiester: I’d like to echo on what’s been said before me. I’d like to thank Travis for all the work he has put into this; it would not work without Travis. The new board needs to realize what an asset Travis is. Take advantage of that because he holds us together. Communication is essential and I think it is real important as a member of the board to attend City Council meetings on airport issues. We accomplished a lot - such as Noise Study, Master Plan update, Control Tower, etc. There were a lot of things done here that helped the pilots and people who use the airport. Because the airport runs well and it is not in the spotlight unless there is an accident, you need to be sure you do not fall out of the spotlight. You need to be an advisor to the Council and that you’re doing the job you’re supposed to do. It has been a lot fun and a lot of work. Mark Dietz has done a great job for us. He ’s fairly quiet except for when we really need him; then he stands up and represents the group before the City Council. Howard Fomby has worked with the City Council and we couldn ’t have done it without him. These two others guys and John, and as you see, everybody pitches in. If you care about airport airplanes, you should a lso care about the welfare of this airport. Mark Dietz: Ten important items accomplished by this Airport Advisory Board: 1) Control Tower; 2) Master Plan (this will be your guide post about airport usage); 3) Noise Study (both the Master Plan & Noise Study need to be considered on a regular basis); 4) Security Issues (headed by Tim Sullivan and brought about real concerns on keeping this airport safe); 5) Fiscal Management (that was brought to this board’s attention by Don Pfiester and then we took it to Council and determined what we would need in the future, and the ratio of the dollars to make the operation profitable and self-supporting); 6) Central Texas Advisory Board meetings (we met with other advis ory board members from surrounding airports and discussed mutual needs); 7) Airport signage (John Bader took up the responsibility of trying to make sure our signage is consistent throughout the airport); 8) Airport museum (Howard Fomby gave a good report and it could really turn this airport into a destination that is non-aviation related in the sense that it will include the community; 9) Rules & Regulation and Minimum Standards (the last time revised was in 1986 and twenty years is too long to revise); 10) Airport website (the information currently posted on the website can be expanded and more people are using the website – people will be looking more and more to that than any paper product about what is happening at the airport); 11) Safety Observation Reports (We had problems out here, pilots were not paying attention and we had issues associated with noise; so by putting everyone on the airport on notice that they could advise and let us know that there was a problem, did a lot towards cutting back on some of the problems we experience out here); The two guys sticking with you, Arnold Wieder and Tim Sullivan, are a world of knowledge. I have enjoyed my time with all of you. I will come back and visit and I look forward to seeing you take on the same problems we have identified from the last few years. 10. Consideration and possible action for setting Agenda Items for the March 20, 2006, meeting. Mark Dietz: Agenda items for the March 20, 2006 meeting: A. Election of Vice-Chairman and Secretary. B. Airport Manager’s Report. C. Discussion and possible action of the Airport Safety Observation Report and Methods to Promote Airport Safety. D. Discuss Airport Museum. E. Discuss the Security Audit. F. Discuss Airport Signs. 11. Adjourn. Don Pfiester: Motion that we adjourn. Arnold Wieder: I second the motion. Motion approved 6-0. Adjourned: 7:50 P.M. Submitted by: Travis McLain Airport Director Approved: Attest: ___________________________ _____________________________ Paul Smith, Chairman Trey Taparauskas, Board Secretary