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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_AIRAB_05.18.2009 Minutes of the Meeting of the Airport Advisory Board City of Georgetown, Texas Monday, May 18, 2009 The Airport Advisory Board of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on Monday , May 18, 2009. Members Present: Daryl Dressler, John Hopper, Katherine Woods, Ken Arnold, Van Chandler Members Absent: Trey Taparauskas Staff Present: Travis McLain Minutes Regular Meeting 1. Call to order. Vice-Chairman Hopper called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. 2. Consideration and possible action to approve the Minutes of April 20, 2009, meeting. Van Chandler : I make the motion to approve the minutes of April 20, 2009. Daryl Dressler : I second the motion. Motion approved 5-0. 3. Airport Manager’s Report: April 2009 Monthly Income and Expense Reports Travis McLain : April fuel sales were down approximately 29% from April five year average (2004 -2008). Avgas sales were down 28.98% from the previous five year average and jet fuel sales were down 28.4% from that same (April – five year average). On May 15, 2009 the self service Avgas increased to $3.30 per gallon. Report on Noise Study and Master Plan Update Travis McLain: No report. Report on Council Actions Travis McLain : Council approved the Board recommendation to authorize staff to request that the FAA change the operating hours of the Control Tower to 7:00 A.M. - 10:00 P.M. Council also approved the request of Chartwell Properties, LP, at 300 Service Drive for a Landlord ’s Consent to Leasehold Deed of Trust and the Memorandum of Lease. Pending May 26, 2009, Council will consider TxDOT ’s request of Resolution affirming Council’s acceptance of a Grant to remove obstructions to Runway 36 and 29 and various taxiway rehab work. Report on Airport Construction Projects Travis McLain : The project to remove the trees on the eastside of the approach to runway 18 is ongoing with 30-60 additional days to finish. Control Tower Radar Display Travis McLain : Reviewed letter from the FAA that indicates radar ser vice will be provided at the Tower within the next twelve to eighteen months. Improvements to Terminal Drive Travis McLain : TxDOT is preparing the plans and specs to go for bid. Budget Travis McLain : Discussed the proposed 2010 budget. 4. Consideration and possible action to recommend that Council approve and authorize an annual Air Show at the Georgetown Municipal Airport. John Hopper : Did anyone get up to Temple for the Air Show? Katherine Woods : There were certainly a lot of pros and cons voiced in the local newspaper. John Hopper : I do not remember anyone from the press attending our last meeting to write that article. Van Chandler : They called me and said they read the minutes of the Airport Advisory Board. I advised it was just a discussion item. Katherine Woods : If that many people are interested enough to write letters of strong opinion about the air show, I think if we continue to talk about the issue, we should invite citizens to co me and discuss this issue. Van Chandler : We obviously have to have something different than Temple or a different venue. Wouldn’t it be better to figure out what we want before we invite comments? Daryl Dressler : I think so. This airport is surrounded by dense housing development and a traditional airshow with loud aerobatics would probably not fly here. Thinking of an airshow, you think of aerobatics and F-16’s. Temple is a better airshow for that kind of activity. What sort of an airshow could we present here that would fit within the local community and still provide interest? John Hopper : I think whatever we come up with should promote Georgetown and the Airport. Van Chandler : The new sport aircraft category; there are a lot of ideas we can come up with this next year. Daryl Dressler : Even if we get some World War II planes to do flybys and nothing radical like aerobatics to show the airplanes and perhaps military displays on the ground. Van Chandler : I think we should leave this item on the agenda and toss around ideas. Travis McLain: We can change this item as discussion only. John Hopper : One of the most enjoyable performance(s) was a square dance by helicopters that the Army put on and it went over real well. I would like to promote Geor getown and the airport. Katherine Woods : In general when we had the airshow before, did the airport incur the costs or did it pay for itself? Daryl Dressler: I think it paid for itself and a lot more. Travis McLain : There was a non-profit, IRS registered organization called the “Georgetown Pilot’s Association”. They actually did all the work putting the airshow together. The City provided the airfield facilities and we sold them gasoline at our cost. They made all the deals with the performers and they in turn put excess revenues back into the airport. First thing they bought was the single lamp PLASI (pulse light approach slope indicator), one year they replaced several thousand dollars of runway lights, they bought the 3-blade shredder that mows the fields, and they put $50,000.00 into the airport fund to help pay for the Tower equipment. It has always been a positive impact to the airport. John Sommerfeld : (Citizen) One of the things you might consider is the public. My observations were that by the time the pyrotechnic and static displays, everyone had left; we need to look at what appeals to the public. Mike Martin : (Citizen) The airshow has been my passion for ten years. I am a resident of Sun City and have worked with Beth Jenkins, who owns Pilot’s Choice Association, and I have been her fund raiser and PR person for the airhsow. I agree with Mr. Chandler that Temple ’s airport is bigger and safer and the pilots seem to favor the size. Here we are surrounded by residential communities, so it may take a different form and there could be the possibility of a second show. We could stay in Georgetown with a static display. I attended the Burnet and San Marcos airshow. I am still interested in having a museum at the Georgetown Municipal Airport. This may be an opportunity to address the PR business of the airport (WWI aircraft, vintage aircraft, hot air balloons, experimental aircraft, radio -controlled, military displays, commercial aviation displays, kite flying, helicopter square dance, hangar dances, etc.). John Hopper : We just need to use our imagination and let’s keep the ideas on the conversation level. Daryl Dressler : I like the idea of incorporating a hangar dance with a big band. I was at Minneapolis, St. Paul and they had their annual county air fest with big band sounds and a lot of veterans show up with their uniforms, it’s sort of a USO kind of thing and then in the background several vintage planes showed up as well. Van Chandler : Motion to appoint Daryl Dressler to form a committee. Ken Arnold : I second the motion. Motion approved 5-0. Motion carried by unanimous vote. 5. Discuss Airport Business Plan. Van Chandler : I will discuss ideas over the next few months. 6. Consideration and possible action for setting Agenda Items for the June 15, 2009, meeting. Agenda item(s) for the June 15, 2009 meeting: A. Air show discussion. B. Discuss Business Plan for the Airport. 7. Adjourn. Katherine Woods : I make the motion that we adjourn. John Hopper : I second the motion. Motion approved 5-0. Adjourned: 7:30 P.M.