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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_GTAB_03.08.2019Minutes of the Meeting of the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board and the Governing Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas March 8, 2019 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 three (3) days prior to the scheduled meeting date, at (512)930-3652 or City Hall at 113 East 81h Street for additional information: TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. Board Members Present: Ron Bindas - Board Chair, Dan Jones, Robert Redoutey, John Hesser, George Brown, Ercel Brashear, Doug Noble, Dan Jones Board Members Absent: Sheila Mills, Troy Hellmann Staff Present: Jim Briggs, Wes Wright, Emily Koontz, Ray Miller, Laurie Brewer, David Morgan, Michael Hallmark, Octavio Garza, Wayne Reed Others Present: Terry Reed -ACC, Carl Norris -ACC, John Milford -ACC, William Harp - Southwestern University, Kole Kimberlin - Southwestern University, Josh Crawford, Brad Lamb - GTU Jet, John Mutchler - Aguirre & Fields Regular Session A. Call to Order: Meeting called to order by Chairperson Ron Bindas at 10:OOam 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 New Board Members and Visitors: All board members, visitors, and staff were introduced. C. Review Board/Meeting Procedures: Koontz explained board member packet. D. Industry/CAMPO/TxDOT/Transit Updates: Miller gave updates. Presentation included in the packet. Bindas asked for clarification and Miller responded that it would be sidewalks or pathways depending on the requirements to be brought up to code. Brashear asked and Miller responded that the railing will be adequate to protect the traveling public. Hesser asked and Miller responded that the city has an inventory of shovel -ready projects and others that we will try to apply for again. Bindas asked if the GoGeo is performing where they city thought it would be and Miller responded that some areas are falling short of expected performance. Miller also explained that there will be a meeting on March 261h the city will be giving an overall presentation to City Council on the operational performance of GoGeo. Hesser asked what the criteria to make a decision about GoGeo was and how to evaluate its usefulness. Hesser asked and Miller responded that most riders are repeat riders. Brashear asked and Miller replied that a trip is counted as one-way. Bindas added that when they are talking about intersections, they are talking about completely replacing bridges that are no longer functional. E. Airport Monthly Update: November 2018 GTAB Updates: Garza gave updates. All updates included in the packet. Garza announced that Russ Volk has been re -hired as a temporary remote employee until the city can hire a new Airport Manager. Brashear asked and Garza responded that the outside date for completion is May 21st. Brashear asked and Garza responded that both runways will be closed from April 511, to April 161h. Bindas asked and Garza responded that there is active interest in hangars. Hesser asked and Garza responded that there is still a waiting list of approximately 200. Citizens Wishing to Address the Board: The following people with the Airport Concerned Citizens (ACC) signed up to speak to the Board on Item E: Carl Norris - 6 minutes (extra 3 minutes donated by John Milford) Brad Lamb - 3 minutes F. March 2019 GTAB Updates - Wesley Wright, P.E. Systems Engineering Director/Michael Hallmark, CIP Manager. Wright gave updates. All updates included in the packet. Brown asked and Wright responded that the plan is to update DB Wood road from two to four lanes. Noble asked and Wright responded that the county issuing bonds is coordinated with city manager's office. The city tries to avoid issuing bonds votes at the same time as the county. Hesser asked and Wright responded that there have not yet been traffic studies to see how University traffic will be impacted by connecting SH 29 to DB Wood Road. Brashear asked and Wright responded that some of the uncompleted 2015 bond projects will be included in the new traffic study for impact fees. Brown asked and Wright responded that in general development would pay the impact fee. Hesser asked and Brashear explained that there is other traffic data available besides the TIA study. Bindas asked and Wright responded that the amount would be based on density, but everyone will pay something appropriate to the usage expected. Legislative Regular Agenda G. Nominations and election of Vice -Chair of the GTAB Board - Ronald Bindas - Chair Person for GTAB. Doug Noble was nominated for Vice -President by Brashear and accepted the nomination. MOTION by Brashear, second by Hesser. APPROVED 7-0-2 (Mills and Hellmann - absent) H. Nominations and election of Secretary of the GTAB Board - Ronald Bindas - Chair Person for GTAB. Dan Jones was nominated for Secretary by Brashear and accepted the nomination. MOTION by Brashear, second by Hesser. APPROVED 7-0-2 (Mills and Hellmann - absent) I. Review and possible action related to the Day and Time of GTAB Board Meetings - Ronald Bindas - Chair Person for GTAB: Koontz explained that there was a list of proposed dates in the packet that would keep the GTAB meeting time as the second Friday of every month at 10:OOam. MOTION by Hesser, second by Brown to continue having GTAB meetings on the second Friday of every month at 10:00am. APPROVED 7- 0-2 (Mills and Hellmann - absent) J. Consideration and possible approval of the Minutes from the January 11, 2019 Meeting - Emily Koontz - Board Liaison. MOTION by Hesser, second by Brown to approve the minutes as presented. APPROVED 6-0-2-1 (Mills and Hellmann - absent, Brashear abstained) K. Consideration and possible recommendation on Task Order No. A&F 19-002-TO for Aguirre & Fields LP of Austin, Texas for the engineering of the Southwest Bypass from Wolf Ranch Pkwy to SH 29 in the amount of $706,991.75 -- Wesley Wright, PE, Systems Engineering Director. Wright explained that this is a design task order to take the existing Southwest Bypass from where it hard bends in to Wolf Ranch Parkway and create a two-lane direct connect at grade intersection with SH29. Hesser asked and Wright responded that signal design is included in the task order. Hesser asked and Wright confirmed that the city already owns that property. Bindas asked and Wright responded that the timeline will be hard to nail down when dealing with TxDOT environmental. Construction only is estimated at about nine months. Brashear asked �� and Wright confirmed that the funds are form 2015 Road Bond projects. MOTION by, �0 second by APPROVED 7-0-2 (Mills and Hellmann - absent) Adjournment l'r•� Motion by Noble, second by Hesser. APPROVED 7-0-2 (Mills and Hellmann - absent) Meeting was Adjourned at 11:23 AM Approved: onald Bindas - Chair Emily - GTAB Boa Attested: Oa, � e a,) Dan Jo es - Secretary GTAB STATEMENT March 8, 2019 AGENDA ITEM "E" AIRPORT MONTHLY REPORT Good morning Mr. Chairman, and members of the GTAB. My name is Hugh C. Norris, Jr. My residence is 4400 Luna Trail, Georgetown, Texas. I am a member of the Airport Concerned Citizens (ACC). The ACC is a major community public interest stakeholder group demanding compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) demonstrated by the preparation process of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as appropriately amended for all major action federal and state taxpayer funded grants for the Georgetown Municipal Airport (GTU). This is the 91 st presentation by ACC members to the city council and GTAB since January 14, 2014. My comments this morning are generalized to address agenda item "E", Airport Monthly Report, for the purpose of reintroducing the ACC to board members of past experience and new ones recently appointed. It's always good to better know each other. On behalf of the ACC, we welcome the board's new board Chairman, Mr. Ron Bindas. Mr. Bindas is recognized for his many years experience in aviation as a pilot, active in aviation affairs and faithful years on this board. Other board members are recognized for their past services to this board, and to the community including Councilman John Hesser who has worked diligently to improve GTU fiscal and management operations and Mr. Doug Noble who serves as the GTAB member of the Steering Committee for the 2030 Comprehensive Plan Update. Our congratulations to Ms. Sheila Mills for her reappointment to the board. A special welcome is extended to our new board members, Mr. George Brown and Mr. Ercel Brashear. We look forward to working constructively with all members of this board. A quote from yesterday's newspaper horoscopes seems appropriate as we begin this new season with a new GTAB. "No one ever said that human dynamics are logical. It is possible to admire someone you don't agree with, to love someone you don't like, and be attracted to someone who's totally not your type. It's complicated!" The ACC is a group of over 100 households whose views represent larger numbers of city and county citizens near and surrounding the GTU sharing common social, economic, and environmental safety and health hazard concerns regarding the continuous expansion of GTU operations at its current location. That location is landlocked in the planned heart of our city, one of the fastest growing cities in nation, AND totally atop the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. The FAA, the lead federal agency awarding federal taxpayer grants for expanding GTU operations, and TxDOT, the legislature assigned manager of FAA annual State Block Grant Program funds AND state taxpayer grants, both support the city's position that these hazards do not exist and this dangerous location is the very best of ALL possible locations. The ACC disagrees. Statements will be made in future board meetings focused on these issues. Valuing economic benefits of the GTU for the city, the ACC has NEVER advocated closure of the GTU, but supports and advocates its operations relocation to a safer, superior, managed and operated location for its FAA authorized duties as a Central Texas regional reliever airport. Envisioned is an airport authority as described by CH2MHil1 Engineers in the firm's 2013 GTU financial study. An airport authority modeled on the Ft. Worth Alliance Airport developed jointly by the City of Ft. Worth and Alliance Air Services of Ross Perot. An authority having runways of 8,000 to 10,000 LF or more, properly zoned to prevent airport hazards AND non - compatible land uses, created through a legislative act with no requirement to be in the city limits or the city's ETJ, but retaining city control, seamlessly receiving all GTU operations and contracted fixed base operators, and at no cost to existing Georgetown taxpayers. ACC advocates city funding of a professional due diligence feasibility study showing how such a relocated regional reliever site for GTU can, in fact, be done. More will be stated in future presentations. The ACC strongly advocates full open government transparency, ethics, and accountability on ALL city programs including correction of deficiencies in how the city interacts with the public regarding operations and land expansion of the GTU. The ACC believes well informed citizens will make correct decisions for our governments. Therefore, we strongly support the need for FAA to require a fully scoped EIS preparation process for the city's proposed new $60 Million, 52 project PROGRAM of capital improvements for the GTU. Mr. Chairman, the ACC again demands GTAB require written staff responses and open public meetings on city projects and plans for expansions of the GTU as a function of this or related agenda item topics. AND, YES, human dynamics are complicated!