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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_GTAB_12.08.2016Minutes of the Meeting of the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board and the Governing Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas December 8, 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 811, Street for additional information: TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. Board Members: Ron Bindas — Secretary, Troy Hellmann, Doug Noble, Mark Allen, Steve Johnston, Vacant Board Members Absent: Donna Courtney, John Pettitt — Chair, John Hesser — Vice Chair Staff Present: Mike Babin, Ed Polasek, Jana Kern, Cindy Alejandro, Russ Volk, Nat Waggoner, Mark Miller, Travis Baird, and Wes Wright Others Present: Dan Southard, Anthony Aquilino, Randy Lazano, Robert Everett, Arlo Sellards — City of Georgetown Employees, Carl Norris, Richard Balentine, Dennis Hegebarth - ACC Regular Session A. Call to Order: Mr. Babin called the regular GTAB Board meeting to order on Thursday, December 8, 2016 at 10:04 AM The Chair and Vice Chair were absent, per the GTAB Bylaws Section 4.5, a Board Chair had to be nominated. Motion by Johnston second by Hellmann to appoint Ron Bindas as acting Chair. Approved 5-0 (Pettitt, Hesser, and Courtney absent and one vacant spot) 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 - Employee Recognition - Mark Miller • Dan Southard • Anthony Aquilino • Randy Lazano • Robert Everett • Arlo Sellards • Travis Baird • Donald Morgan — not present C. Industry/CAMPO/TXDOT Updates — In November, CAMPO held an open house regarding the SH 29 expansion alternatives. TXDOT presented three potential corridors, but gave no specifics regarding actual right-of-way, design or timeline. The next public meeting will include a specific corridor and alignment based on feedback received at that meeting. Also in November, TXDOT held a Williams Drive/IH-35 open house, with a lot more detail regarding the design, traffic movement and timeline for implementation for the Divergent Diamond Interchange. With the suspension of work on the Lone Star Rail project, CAMPO made a commitment to work on the Mokan corridor and on the connection from Georgetown to Austin. At a recent CAMPO Workshop, it was decided to move forward with the study of the corridor from RR 1431 to SH 45 in Round Rock as the first phase of project development. Future phases will be coordinated with all jurisdictions, TxDOT and Capital Metro. D. Discussion regarding the Project Progress Reports and Time Lines. — Wes Wright, P.E., Systems Engineering Director. E. Discussion regarding the Airport Monthly Report and Project Time Lines. — Russ Volk, C.M., 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 November 15, 2016 - Jana Kern - GTAB Board Liaison Motion by Hellmann second by Allen to approve the minutes as presented. Approved 5-0 (Pettitt, Hesser, and Courtney absent and one vacant spot) G. Consideration and possible recommendation for approval of a Lease Assignment from Williamson County Sun, Inc. to Clark Thurmond for the land lease with hangar improvement located at 503 Wright Brothers Drive. - Russ Volk, C.M., Airport Manager and Edward G. Polasek, AICP, Transportation Services Director Volk reviewed the lease assignment with the Board, the lease agreement was reviewed and approved by City of Georgetown Legal Department. Motion by Noble second by Hellman to approve a Lease Assignment from Williamson County Sun, Inc. to Clark Thurmond for the land lease with hangar improvement located at 503 Wright Brothers Drive. Approved 5-0 (Pettitt, Hesser, and Courtney absent and one vacant spot) H. Consideration and possible recommendation for approval of a Lease Assignment from ASM to Genesis Flight Academy for the hangar at 302 Toledo Trail. - Russ Volk, C.M., Airport Manager and Edward G. Polasek, AICP, Transportation Services Director Volk explained the change of the lease assignment with the Board. Motion by Hellmann second by Noble to approve a Lease Assignment from ASM to Genesis Flight Academy for the hangar at 302 Toledo Trail. Approved 5-0 (Pettitt, Hesser, and Courtney absent and one vacant spot) I. Consideration and possible recommendation to approve a Specialized Aviation Services Operator (SASO) Application from Premier/Apex Flight Academy to operate a flight school on the Georgetown Municipal Airport. — Russ Volk, C.M., Airport Manager and Edward G. Polasek, AICP, Transportation Services Director Volk discussed with the Board to move the Premier Flight Academy from Cleveland to Georgetown. This will increase local employment numbers, increased fuer sales, student housing, potential increase in air traffic, strictly weather driven and will have Diamond Star training. Motion by Noble second by Hellman to approve a Specialized Aviation Services Operator (SASO) Application from Premier/Apex Flight Academy to operate a flight school on the Georgetown Municipal Airport. Approved 4-1 (Pettitt, Hesser, and Courtney absent, one vacant spot, and Johnston against) Adjournment Motion by Hellmann second by Allen to adjourn meeting. Approved 5-0 (Pettitt, Hesser, and Courtney absent and one vacant spot) Meeting adjourned at 10:54 AM Approved: Ron Bindas — Acting Chair Atte ted: Ron Bindas— Secretary Jana R. Kern — GTAB Board Liaison GTAB STATEMENT DECEMBER 08, 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 61st presentation by ACC members to the city council and/or the GTAB since our first public presentation on January 14, 2014 to city council demanding compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regarding federal funding and fiscal transparency for the Georgetown Municipal Airport (GTU). The GTU is a documented health and safety hazard, subject of public controversy and any action for maintenance and/or expansion should be addressed through preparation of a NEPA provided Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). My comments this morning focus on two of the federal funded actions contained in the Airport Manager's backup materials for this item: the construction program, 1514GRGTN and the new 20 year Airport Master Plan Update, 16MPGRGTN. As noted in the past, the project description for 1514GRGTN contained in the Airport Manager's backup materials for this agenda item remains deceptive and misleading. It continues to focus on the fuel farm with minor emphasis on two other phases of this 25 project program. The fuel farm's 60% capacity expansion by TxDOT remains totally unjustified and without engineering merit. With its 101 bid items, 1514GRGTN is the single largest federal funded construction contract in the 47 year history of state and federal funding for the GTU. The GRW-Willis 2005 GTU master plan update from which 1514GRGTN originated intended the program's original nine project elements to substantially complete the plan's program for facilities to accommodate 405 based aircraft and 202,025 annual operations for the 2004 to 2024 planning period. Th 2005 master plan update identified the GTU's runways capacity to be 230,000 annual operations. Therefore, 1514GRGTN even before TxDOT expanded it without documented city approval to 25 projects, was expected to substantially complete planned facilities accommodation for 88% of GTU runways operations capacity. Prior to state and federal funding GTU provided accommodations for 16 based aircraft and 16,000 annual operations. Over the course of three prior GTU master plans and 47 years of state and federal funding, GTU based aircraft and annual aviation operations have been expanded over 2,431% and 1,163%, respectively, with near 100 acres of land expansion in the heart of our growing city and without a single EIS. The Director, TxDOT Aviation, testified before the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) that no expansion was associated with 1514GRGTN. The current description for 1514GRGTN masks the significant adverse impacts in the presence of Extraordinary Circumstances on our human environment and challenges the Categorical Exclusions from the NEPA prepared for it and prior funding actions by TxDOT and FAA officials. These officials are meanwhile safely excluded from such adverse impacts in offices in Austin, Ft. Worth and Washington D.C. The project description for 16MPGRGTN in the Airport Manager's backup materials fails to describe the magnitude of the Coffman Associates engineering services contract for this new 20 year GTU master plan. The contract, under total control ofTxDCT, proposes a 16 month planning period, eight payment elements of consultant services, 36 tasks of information gathering, special studies and services, aviation operations expansion projections, revised Airport Layout Plan, and production of the final report. The purpose of this master plan update is further development of the GTU as a Ft. Worth Alliance Airport type regional reliever airport for general and military aviation in the very heart of our city rapidly growing to over 200,000 and totally atop the Edwards Recharge Zone. Although the planning process contains elements of public participation, the ACC has reservations. A special public access web site is to be created during the initiation phase whereby the public is to have access to all planning materials for analysis and comment. However, it is not clear that public comments of GTU history, environmental setting, adverse impacts, mitigation measures and practicable alternatives will be recognized by the city, TxDOT, FAA and the consultant or have any impacts on their prior determinations. Three public workshops are proposed within the 16 month planning schedule on four month cycles, but no workshop is scheduled for public review and comment on the final plan nor is there any provision for an EIS for the plan. The past three years of silent indifference by the city, TOOT, FAA, the local press and false testimony by city and TOOT officials before the TTC to public pleas for NEPA compliance regarding use of federal funds for the GTU has taught the need for public vigilance and concerns regarding this new GTU master plan update. The Airport Manager must be far more thorough in his presentations for this item. Mr. Chairman, I welcome comments or questions from the board.