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
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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.