Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_GTAB_08.09.2019Minutes of the Meeting of the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board and the Governing Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas August 9, 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 8th Street for additional information: TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. Board Members Present: Ron Bindas - Board Chair, Dan Jones, Robert Redoutey, George Brown, Sheila Mills, Rachael Jonrowe Board Members Absent: Troy Hellmann, Ercel Brashear, Doug Noble Staff Present: Wes Wright, Ray Miller, Emily Koontz, Michael Hallmark, Joseph Carney, Chris Pousson, Jim Briggs, Wayne Reed, Nathan Parras Others Present: Terry Reed -ACC, Carl Norris -ACC, John Milford -ACC, Wendy Dew Regular Session A. Call to Order: Meeting called to order by Chairperson Ron Bindas at 10:00am 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 Board Members and Visitors: All board members, visitors, and staff were introduced. C. Industry/CAMPO/TxDOT/Transit Updates: Miller gave updates. Updates included in the packet. Jonrowe asked and Miller answered that the numbers for June were up because of the summer peak that happened from last year as well, but numbers for July are not in yet. Miller also stated that they working on adding several stops. Jonrowe asked and Miller responded that they are working on more advertising. Bindas asked and Wright replied that the Northwest Blvd Bridge will probably start around Labor Day. D. Airport Monthly Update: Joseph Carney gave updates. All updates included in the packet. Bindas asked and Carney replied that they have not had any new inquiries about airport related businesses. 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) - Statement attached to minutes. E. August 2019 GTAB Updates - Wesley Wright, P.E. Systems Engineering Director/Michael Hallmark, CIP Manager. Wright gave updates. All updates included in the packet. Mills asked and Wright replied that the Rivery Blvd extension will get drivers onto Park Lane and from there they can go east and get out onto the service road of 135. Mills asked and Wright responded that the round -a -bout will go with the Northwest Blvd package and will hopefully done by the end of the year. Legislative Regular Agenda F. Consideration and possible approval of the Minutes from the June 14, 2019 Meeting - Emily Koontz - Board Liaison. MOTION by Brown, second by Mills to approve the minutes. APPROVED 6-0-3 (Hellmann, Noble, and Brashear - absent) G. Consideration and possible recommendation to award a contract to Choice Builders, LLC of Temple, Texas for the construction of the Old Town Northeast Sidewalk project in the amount of $855,020.80 - Wesley Wright, P.E. Systems Engineering Director/Michael Hallmark, CIP Manager. Part of the 2015 Road Bond was all the priority one sidewalks identified as missing or needed. This project was one of the priority one sidewalks. The city has now been able to obtain all the right-of-ways they needed to proceed. The bid was below the engineer's estimate and there are funds in the Road Bond 2015. Bindas asked and Pousson asked that the timeline was about 120 days. MOTION by Brown, second by Mills. APPROVED 6-0-3 (Hellmann, Noble, and Brashear - absent) Adjournment Motion by Jonrowe, second by Jones. APPROVED 6-0-3 (Hellmann, Noble, and Brashear - absent) Meeting was Adjourned at 10:37 AM Approved: Attested: Danliones - Secretary Emil oontz - G Board Liaison GTAB STATEMENT AUGUST 9, 2019 AGENDA ITEM "D" 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 focus of the ACC is governmental transparency and public participation regarding federal and state taxpayer grants for the Georgetown Municipal Airport (GTU) AND relocation of its current heart -of -the -city landlocked location to a safer, superior, long-term site for its FAA designation and development as THE principle Central Texas Reliever Airport. Governmental respect and adherence to public transparency leads to better ideas and community safety. This understanding of governments at all levels was a principle that lead to passage by Congress and signing into law by President Nixon in 1969/1970 of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and subsequent Council on Environmental Quality oversight development of FAA NEPA compliance regulations that require Environmental Assessments (EA's) and/or Environmental Impact Statements (EIS's) for major federal funding actions such as the 2016, 20 year, 52 projects, $60 Million PROGRAM of new GTU capital improvements. The city, TxDOT and FAA have funded four major federal action PROGRAMS proposed by GTU master plans of 1980, 1998, 2005 and 2016. All have been for operations expansion and development of the GTU as THE principle Central Texas military and civilian reliever airport. About $28 Million taxpayer funds have been expended for projects out of these PROGRAMS. The 2016 PROGRAM is over twice this total in magnitude of cost and potential adverse impacts on the community. A common requirement of the NEPA compliance process is mandatory public examination of ALL practicable alternatives to the major funding action which has NEVER been done for the four PROGRAMS. This board is THE citizen advisory board to the City Council for all actions regarding the GTU. This board recommended city council approve the 2016 GTU master plan and PROGRAM and incorporate it into the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. Examine the maps around this room and note the landlocked location of the GTU in the planned heart of our growing city and atop the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone (EARZ). It's location as a Central Texas reliever airport with planned PROGRAM implemented take offs and landings up to 764 per day including 150,000 pound dual wheel toxic leaded fueled aircraft and tens of thousands of gallons of hazardous materials with no pro -active safeguards atop the EARZ is a constant health and death hazard to the community and region. Members of this board may feel trapped or intimidated from considerations of any GTU alternate locations by the city council's approval and city charter actions regarding the old Airport Advisory Board's unprofessional and defective report titled "Airport Closing Project - October 2002" which dismissed such alternatives as not possible AND the city's tightened shroud of secrecy cast over all GTU plans and operations expansion before and since that time. DON'T BE! Some members may feel there are no GTU alternatives based on some consultants and staff assertions that the GTU has been federalized; that FAA and TxDOT would not permit any limitations to continued GTU expanded operations or relocation. NONSENSE! The GTU is the property of the citizens of the city - not TxDOT or FAA. Staying on course with operations expansion at the current GTU location means certain destruction of neighborhoods by eminent domain or debilitating noise or deadly destruction by fire, explosion or water supply contamination. The community and region's future health, safety and political respect of the city itself demand your examination of such alternatives. Our city needs a professional study showing how the GTU can be seamlessly relocated at no cost to existing taxpayers, state and federal governments by consideration, but not limited to: (1) CH2MHill's 2013 Airport Business Analysis recommendation of an Airport Authority not limited to a city limits location, (2) the existing state statute requiring TxDOT to build and maintain a State Airport for Central Texas, (3) the over $100 Million best land use and zoning of the GTU's property for relocation costs, (4) city services, investments, ad valorem and sales tax uses granted to other local quality land developments, (5) a relocated GTU to a future safe and superior location modeled on the relationship between the City of Ft Worth and private land ownership of the Ft Worth Alliance Reliever Airport, and (6) special directed Certificates of Obligation bonds serviced by taxpayers of redeveloped GTU property. Mr. Chairman, the ACC will present added comments on this issue in future meetings. Comments and questions by members of the board are welcomed.