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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_GTAB_03.13.2015Notice of Meeting of the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board and the Governing, Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas March 13,2015 The City of Georgetown is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require assistance in participation at a public meeting due to a disability, as defined under the ADA, reasonable assistance, adaptations, or accommodations will be provided upon request. Please contact the City at least four (4) days prior to the scheduled meeting date, at (512)930-3652 or City Hall at 113 East 8th Street for additional information: TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. Board Members Truman Hunt — Chair, Rachel Jonrowe, John Hesser, Ray Armour - Secretary, Chris H'Luz, Steve Johnston, John Pettitt — Vice Chair, Donna Courtney, Scott Rankin, Board Members Absent: All Present Staff Present: Ed Polasek, Jana Kern, Mark Miller, Mike Babin, Bill Dryden, Russ Volk, Lisa Haines, Skye Mason, Wes Wright, Nat Waggoner Others Present: Tom Crawford — Road Bond PAC Chair & GTEC Board Member, Trae Sutton — KPA, Hugh Norris, James & Avis O'Connell, Bob Meeker, Terry Reed, John Milford, & Frances Dressler - ACC Regular Session A. Call to Order: Mr. Truman Hunt called the regular GTAB Board meeting to order on Friday, March 13, 2015 at 10:00 AM Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board may, at any time, recess the Regular Session to convene an Executive Session at the request of the Chair, a Board Member, The City Manager, Assistant City Manager, General Manager of Utilities, City Council Member, or legal counsel for any purpose authorized by the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 551, and are subject to action in the Regular Session that follows. B. Introduction of Visitors C. Industry/CAMPO/TxDOT Updates: There are a number of Transportation Bills that we are track. One has made it out of the Senate and is headed to the House. This Bill is to insure that the majority of the vehicle sales tax is to go to the Road Bill. This could mean over $25 Billion over a 10 year period. This will require a vote. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor promise to stop the diversion of fuel tax to public safety and transfer it to the Transportation Bills. D. Discussion regarding the Project Progress Reports and Time Lines —Bill Dryden, P. E., Transportation Engineer, Mark Miller, Transportation Services Manager and Edward G. Polasek, AICP, Transportation Services Director. E. Discussion regarding the Airport Project Progress Report and Time Lines. — Russ Volk, Airport Manager and Edward G. Polasek, AICP, Transportation Services Director. Persons signed up to speak on this item: Hugh "Carl" Norris— See presentation at the end of these minutes. Legislative Regular Agenda The Board will individually consider and possibly take action on any or all of the following items: F. Nominations and election of Vice -Chair of the GTAB Board. — Truman Hunt — GTAB Chair Person Mr. Hunt opened the floor for nominations: Chris ITLuz nominated John Pettitt for Vice Chair. Motion by HLuz second by Johnston to elect John Pettitt as Vice -Chair of the GTAB Board. Approved unanimous 9-0 G. Nominations and election of Secretary of the GTAB Board. — Truman Hunt, GTAB Chair Person Mr. Hunt opened the floor for nominations: Pettitt nominated Chris H'Luz - H'Luz turn down - H'Luz nominated Ray Armour - Armour accepted. Motion by Hesser second by Pettitt to elect Ray Armour as Secretary of the GTAB Board. Approved unanimous 9-0 H. Review and possible action related to the Day and Time of GTAB Board Meetings. — Truman Hunt, GTAB Chair Person Mr. Hunt informed the Board of the current day and time of the GTAB Board meetings asking if there was any thought on changing the day or time. There was none. GTAB Board Meetings will be on the second Friday of the month at 10:00 AM. Motion by Johnston second by Jonrowe to keep the GTAB Board meeting on the same day and time. Approved unanimous 9-0 I. Review and possible action to approve the minutes from the Regular GTAB Board meeting held on February 13, 2015. — Jana Kern - GTAB Board Liaison Motion by Hesser second by Pettitt to approve the minutes as presented. Approved unanimous 9-0 J. Consideration and possible recommendation to approve an Agreement to Terminate Lease with the Apollo Composite Squadron, Texas Wing, Civil Air Patrol —Russ Volk, Airport Manager and Edward G. Polasek, AICD, Transportation Services Director Mr. Volk stated that this has to do with the dilapidated building. Civil Air Patrol (CAP) was to renovate this building for use as a base of operation. They are unable to complete renovations or move the building. We will terminate the lease, demo the building and this property will be turned into a parking lot in the future. Question was asked if CAP is in agreement to terminate was informed that the agreement has already been signed by CAP. Motion by Armour second by Hesser to terminate lease agreement with Apollo Composite Squadron, Texas Wing, Civil Air Patrol. Approved unanimous 9-0 K. Consideration and possible recommendation to GTEC for approval of the 2015/2016 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) — Edward G. Polasek, AICP, Transportation Services Director, and Nat Waggoner, PMP®, Transportation Analyst Polasek explained how the TIP process works. Then gave a presentation to the Board. Motion by Pettitt second by Hesser to approve the GTEC TIP for 2015/16. Approved unanimous 9-0 Adjournment Motion by Pettitt second by Armour to adjourn meeting. Meeting adjourned at 11:11 AM Approved: Attested: 144-4,x— Truman Hunt - Chair Ray Amour - Secretary _Aar. Jana R. Kern - GTAB Board Liaison GTAB STATEMENT MARCH 13, 2015 AGENDA ITEM "E" AIRPORT PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT AND TIME LINES Good morning Mr. Chairman, members of the GTAB, city staff and ladies and gentlemen. For the record, my name is Hugh C. Norris, Jr. My wife and I reside at 4400 Luna Trail. I am a member of the Airport Concerned Citizens (ACC). This is the 37th presentation by members of ACC to the city council and to the GTAB since our statement to city council at its January 14, 2014 meeting. At that meeting we requested a hold on all then pending five (5) federal funded programs for the Georgetown Municipal Airport (GTU). These presentations have been in pursuit of the moral and legitimate rights of the general public for public participation in decisions for use and expenditure of federal funds for development of expanded aviation operations at the airport. Such public participation would be a product of legitimate and complete environmental review consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) instead of piecemeal cherry -picking of segments of the total capital improvement programs for maintenance and expanded operations at the airport. My statement this morning is to present comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) prepared by TxDOT for the Fuel Farm refueling station component which is only one of 24 components of the GTU 2015 Capital Improvements Program (CIP). Preparation of this document was associated with our continuing requests to federal authorities, beginning in June 2014, for National Environmental Policy Act reviews of federal grant funding for the airport. In terms of magnitude, a possible final cost of local and federal funds for this one capital improvements program could exceed 60 percent of the total funding for the airport's past over 70 years history prior to 2012. When combined with the other grants, envisioned by our January 2014 request, the total cost of these new programs could exceed the total cost of the entire over70 year history of the airport. Since we began our pleas for NEPA reviews city officials and staff have repeatedly described these improvements as "just some safety and maintenance improvements" or "just airport safety and reliability improvements". Nothing could be farther from the truth. When one examines the purposes and objectives of the 2005 Master Plan Update by GRW- Willis, Inc., from which all the programs and their components for federal grants since 2005 have their origin, there is no mention of an identification of projects for "safety", "maintenance" or "reliability" improvements. On the contrary, the engineer is clear that his contract is to identify the service capacity needs of the airport for an expanding general aviation operations customer base for the time period of 2004 to 2024. The National Environmental Policy Act does not deny federal funding, but it does require that local officials and the federal agency determine in advance of irretrievable commitment of funds the extent of adverse environmental impacts. Appropriate and full compliance with NEPA requires the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), or at least an extensive and complete environmental assessment appropriately scoped to account for all practicable alternatives and potential direct, indirect, secondary, and cumulative impacts. To date, the only true NEPA review in the history for airport grants has been with the recent preparation of the DEA for the fuel farm, but this exercise is lacking in its scope and fails to address all impacts of the entire GTU 2015 capital improvements program of expanded operations program elements. Our airport has a long documented troubled past of over 20 years of citizen protests and concerns of environmental and safety issues due to its location in the heart of our growing city and its aviation industrial operations being atop the environmentally sensitive Edwards Recharge Zone. Specific protests were centered on objections to any increases in more, heavier and noisier aircraft take offs and landings. The location of our airport is not its highest and best land use. It is in the wrong location for our growing city and can and should be relocated to a superior, environmentally approved rural location. The problem with this current Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) is that the Fuel Farm is a single segmented or "cherry picked" component. It is one of 24 total components that when completed and combined as a whole constitute the GTU 2015 capital improvements program (CIP). A DEA for the fuel farm alone does not provide for assessment of the short term, long term and cumulative negative impacts on the human environment of the 24 program components. The DEA doesn't even include all practicable alternatives applicable to the fuel farm. Nor is the fuel farm relocation described or categorized as just one of all the many airport maintenance and expanded operations program elements. For these reasons the ACC will provide review comments and encourage all other affected parties to do likewise to demand a full legitimate process for preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the GTU 2015 CIP. Use of our federal funds for the airport must not be left to the sole discretion of those who use the airport for fun and profit. This is the only process by which the general citizen public, who actually own the airport, and those outside the city who will be impacted, to become aware of the totality of negative human environmental impacts of this capital improvements program. A process that should include an examination of all practicable alternatives to the program. Mr. Chairman, it is respectfully requested that this board recommend to the city council that, in response to the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Fuel Farm, the city council endorse for it and the general public at large, a recommendation to TxDOT for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the GTU 2015 capital improvements program as a whole. Mr. Chairman, I welcome any questions or comments from the board or staff.