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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_GTAB_08.12.2016Minutes of the Meeting of the Georgetown TransportationAdvisor Board and the Governing Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas August 12, 2016 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: Ron Bindas - Secretary, Steve Johnston, Doug Noble, Troy Hellmann, Donna Courtney Board Members Absent: John Pettitt - Chair, John Hesser - Vice Chair, Staff Present: Jim Briggs, Ed Polasek Jana Kern, Bill Dryden, Mark Miller, Wes Wright, Michael Hallmark Others Present: Carl Norris ., John Milford, & Dennis Hegebarth - ACC, Ramon Maldonado & Bill Kirwin - Maldonado Burnett ITS, Karen Lorenzini, Michelle Cooper, Bobby Ramthan, John Peters, & James Williams - TxDOT, Summer Lawton & Dustin Elliott - HNTB, Trae Sutton - KPA A. Call to Order: Mr. Ron Bindas called the regular GTAB Board Meeting to order on Frid.y, August 12,2016 at 1000 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. The GTAB Chair and Vice Chair are absent. The remaining Board members must take a vote to choose a member to Chair this meeting. Motion by Johnston second by Courtney to elect Ron Bindas to chair the August 12, 2016 GTAB Board Meeting. Approved 5-0 B. Introduction of Visitors C. Industry/CAMPO/TxDOT Updates: On August 8, 2016 the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board met and one of the items discussed was the CAMPO support and funding of the Lone Star Rail District and the future of the Lone Star Rail District. The Policy Board did not have the support from the San Antonio area to take over half the environmental cost. The Policy Board also created a motion that would find the Lone Star Rail was a unconstrained project in the CAMPO long range plan. The motion was passed by a 17-1 vote. Which means it will be removed from the CAMPO Plan and all funding will be stopped. 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. Mr. Norris spoke on this item. His comments are 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. Review and possible action to approve the minutes from the Regular GTAB Board meeting held on July 08, 2016 — Jana Kern Motion by Hellmann second by Courtney to approve minutes as presented. Approved 5-0 G. Presentation, discussion and possible recommendation to City Council on a recommended Mobility 35 Aesthetics profile for the City of Georgetown Area -- Edward G. Polasek, AICP, Transportation Services Director. Polasek gave an overview then turned it over to TxDOT/HNTB who gave a presentation to the Board. Motion by Courtney second by Hellmann to recommend what was presented today that includes current aesthetics of cathedral, the irrigation planting and cross street naming and find a better solution to the large solid walls. Approved 5-0 H. Presentation, discussion and possible recommendation to City Council on a recommended Mobility 35 Project for the Williams Drive intersection -- Edward G. Polasek, AICP, Transportation Services Director. Polasek gave an overview. Presentation was given to the Board by Dustin Elliot of HNTB. Motion by Courtney second by Noble to recommend that the presentation, which was given today on the Williams Driver intersection, be available at the Public Open House. Approved 5-0 Adjournment Motion by Johnston second by Hellmann to adjourn meeting. Approved 5-0 Meeting adjourned at 11.-55 AM. Approved: Attested: -ion Bindas— Acting Chair Ron Bindas— Secretary Jana R. Kern - GTAB Board Liaison AUGUST 12, 2016 AGENDA ITEM "E" AIRPORT MONTHLY REPORT AND PROJECT TIME LINES Good morning Mr. Chairman, members of the GTAB board, city staff and ladies and gentlemen. My name is Hugh C. Norris, Jr. I am a member of the Airport Concerned Citizens (ACC). This is the 58th presentation by ACC members to the city council and/or the GTAB since January 14, 2014. These presentations are demands for compliance by the city, TxDOT and FAA with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regarding expansion of aviation operations and fiscal transparency for the Georgetown Municipal Airport (GTU). At the January 14, 2014 statement to the City Council we requested a hold on federal funds for our airport for five federal grants the planning of which had not complied with NEPA. The federal grant for the 25 - element, 1514GRGTN, of which the Fuel Farm is only one of the 25 -elements, was one of the five. Through numerous prior statements and emails to the GTAB the ACC has demanded financial transparency for the airport, full public description and justification for 1514GRGTN and opposition to any changes of airport runways for support of heavier, noisier or larger aircraft without full NEPA compliance. Again, this morning we note nothing in the staff outline for this agenda item of any such public briefings. Therefore, this statement is focused on these issues as follows: 1. While the city continues its mantra to the public that the airport is self supportive through its own revenue sources, the airport GTAB monthly financial reports, the new draft FY17 airport budget and the new draft city budget for FY17 both conceal and fail to disclose the millions of dollars of federal and local taxpayer costs to subsidize the airport and its operations. These subsidies exist through General Fund, Certificates of Obligation, Electric Fund Revenue Bonds and annual federal operational funds. Such lack of airport financial transparency must end. In addition, ACC demands a full staff description of the full reimbursement costs owed by the Airport Fund for reimbursement to the General Fund for all airport costs borne by non -airport revenues. 2. The outline contained in the Airport Manager's briefing for this morning continues to focus on the Fuel Farm, only one of the 25 -elements of 1514GRGTN. Previous ACC requests for full 1514GRGTN staff briefings to the GTAB and the public have been systematically ignored. This program is the single largest in the entire 37 year history of taxpayer federal funding for the GTU. There has never been a legitimate NEPA review on any past completed federal grant project or program and none has been provided for this one. The ACC doubts that this current GTAB is aware that the program began with nine elements proposed by the current 20 year, GTU Master Plan for 2004 to 2024 and was expanded to 25 -elements with substantial cost increases by TxDOT with no documentation of any prior city and public review or approval. The current construction contract with Mitchell Enterprises, LTD contains 101 bid items. Six of those bid items involve substantial quantities of asphalt crack sealing repairs, slurry seal coating and pavement remarking in sufficient quantities for both runways and all other paved areas. These items appear to be associated with runway repairs described in the city manager's letter dated June 30, 2015 to TxDOT. TxDOT has provided no documentation for justification for these and other 1514GRGTN "improvements" beyond the original nine elements. Staff has assured GTAB and the public that all current runway surface deficiencies have been repaired by city crews. ACC demands a full staff explanation for this apparent duplication of existing surface repairs. 3. ACC has provided the GTAB prior opposition comments regarding the current draft city FY 17 budget that includes a proposed Airport CIP item for Runway 18-36 "Rehab" for FY 19. This proposal appears to be a backdoor attempt to avoid legitimate NEPA reviews for such "improvements". ACC demands a full justification and explanation by staff for inclusion of this item in the any city budget. Mr. Chairman, the ACC demands that full staff explanations for the above issues be presented in an open forum with the public for free interchange of questions and answers. Mr. Chairman, I welcome any questions or comments.