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
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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!