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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_GTAB_01.09.2020 Minutes of the Meeting of the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board and the Governing Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas January 10, 2020 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, Ge orge Brown, Robert Redoutey, Doug Noble, Sheila Mills Board Members Absent: Ercel Brashear, Rachael Jonrowe Staff Present: Wes Wright, Ray Miller, Emily Koontz, Joseph Carney, Katherine Clayton, Leigh Wallace, Wayne Reed Others Present: Carl Norris-ACC, John Milford-ACC, Wendy Dew – ACC, Terry Reed – ACC, Pablo Holguth – ACC, Jim Smith – ACC, Jacob Walker – HDR, Roxanne Coyne 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. Updates to various planning initiatives by CAMPO and TxDOT transportation improvement projects as wells as an update on GoGeo Operations. Ray Miller gave updates. All updates included in the packet. Noble asked and Miller replied that the average number of riders per route depends on the route – for example the average for blue route is 650. D. Discussion regarding the Airport Monthly Update and Project Time Lines - Joseph A. Carney, C.M., Airport Manager and Ray Miller, Acting Director of Public Works. Joseph Carney gave updates. All updates included in the packet. Bindas asked and Wright replied that construction has officially started for the Sun City crosswalk signals. The materials have been ordered and will probably begin being installed in February, hopefully finished by the end of March. 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 Jim Smith) – Statement attached to minutes. Wendy Dew – 6 minutes (extra 3 minutes donated by Pablo Holguth) – Statement attached to minutes. E. January 2020 GTAB Updates - Wesley Wright, P.E., Systems Engineering Director/Michael Hallmark, CIP Manager. Wesley Wright gave updates. All updates included in the packet. F. An explanation of new GTAB financial reports. – Paul Diaz, Budget Manager. Diaz gave presentation which is included in the packet. Legislative Regular Agenda G. Consideration and possible approval of the Minutes from the November 8, 2019 Meeting – Emily Koontz – Board Liaison. MOTION by Mills, second by Brown to approve the minutes. APPROVED 6-0-2 (Brashear and Jonrowe – absent) H. Consideration and possible recommendation for approval of Air Traffic Control Tower Operations Agreement between FAA and Georgetown Municipal Airport. – Joseph A. Carney, C.M., Airport Manager/Ray Miller, Acting Public Works Director. MOTION by Noble, second by Jones. APPROVED 6-0-2 (Brashear and Jonrowe – absent) Adjournment Motion by Brown, second by Noble. APPROVED 6-0-2 (Brashear and Jonrowe – absent) Meeting was Adjourned at 11:24 AM Approved: Attested: ___________________________ __________________________ Ronald Bindas - Chair Dan Jones – Secretary _________________________________ Emily Koontz – GTAB Board Liaison GTAB STATEMENT JANUARY 10, 2020 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), a group of over 100 city households. My comments this morning on behalf of the ACC focus on the breakdown of our local government transparency and accountability on critical public issues including the city's 40 year secret history of plans and implementation of regional, reliever operations expansion of the Georgetown Municipal Airport (GTU) in the planned heart of our city and atop the exposed Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone (EARZ). Currently, our community is embroiled in the latest of three public controversial issues: (1) a bungled energy program costing ratepayers $38 Million in the past 4 years on contracts having another 20 years or so of obligation and unknown total ratepayer cost, (2) a below cost electric price at ratepayer expense for the 3rd largest banking firm in nation subsidized by the other system rate payers, and (3) execution of a design contract for a $5 Million parking garage too large for its site, partially inadequate for service, and located to close a portion of an important downtown street. There are more issues than these three and, without change, more will follow. A common theme entwines these issues: SECRECY! - a local government propensity for secret back room dealings outside the view and participation of the general public and abandonment of government responsibility for transparency and accountability. Such secrecy for elimination of public input is dangerous for our community. Each of these issues was reviewed by a board and/or commission similar in responsibility as the GTAB and active public involvement may have prevented the resultant controversy. Through the public participation process, even if the final decision was later determined to be unchanged and wrong, it would be one made by the community, not secret, and not by a special few. A fourth more dangerous issue is looming: the secret GTU operations expansion. The existing three issues primarily impact local citizens financial cost and embarrassment. GTU secrecy could adversely impact the community and region's safety, health, and environment and future business respect of our city to the outside world. GTU operations expansions, hazards, mitigation measures and alternatives have been shrouded in secrecy since 1980 and a city mantra of "no expansions are implemented or planned at the GTU and its location is fixed for the future" has been instituted. Critics of this mantra have been contemptuously ignored, attacked , smeared, and marginalized rather than engaged in open public meetings where formal, respectful concerns, questions, answers, facts and discussions between citizens and public officials can be conducted. As respected members of our community and appointed members of this board representing the best interests of that community, you should demand to hear these citizen concerns and answers from appropriate staff and officials. The ACC first appeared before the GTAB in February 2014 on GTU operations expansion requesting open public meetings structured on the EIS/NEPA compliance process. The board, led by city staff, fled into an Executive Session and emerged with a council recommendation that ACC requests for such meetings and studies for GTU relocation were demands for closure of the GTU. That recommendation was an outrageous lie. At its next meeting, the city council approved that recommendation and reaffirmed its 2002 defective decision fixing GTU's permanent hazardous location without any prior open public input and discussion meetings. Thus the city's smear of the ACC demanding closure of the GTU was born and perpetuated by staff and city leaders to this day. Since that time, every face on this board and its advisory staff has changed. BUT, the GTU secrecy mantra remains in place as well as the smear on the ACC. The ACC has repeatedly requested open GTAB question and answer workshop meetings on GTU issues. This board has preferred GTU secrecy and refused them all. Let's begin this new year with a GTAB open public meeting on the Citizen FAQ's as posted on the Airport Department city web page. We contend the answers provided on this 15 item listing are riddled with misinformation and lack of information intended to mislead the public and a more factual set must be presented. Only through the open respectful public meeting process between officials and the public can the air be cleared on this issue and meetings for other controversial concerns can this board make appropriate decisions on the GTU. Mr. Chairman, we ask the board to schedule such a public meeting prior to the board's February 2020 meeting. Questions and comments will be appreciated. GTAB MEETING – January 10, 2020 Good morning Mr. Chairman, and members of the GTAB. My name is Wendy Dew. My residence is 30109 Spyglass Circle, Georgetown, Texas. I am a member of the Airport Concerned Citizens (ACC). I'm a wife, mother, and grandmother. We live near the Berry Creek Country Club. I'm outraged at our city leaders for smiling with approval of FAA tower operators directing pilots over our homes at such low elevation and disruptive noise. Based on recent information of the deadly exploding air crash at Lafayette Louisiana airport on December 28th killing that female sports reporter, had it happened here by taking off from the North end of RW 18-36, it would have devastated our home, a large swath of neighbor's homes and no telling how many casualties. But, our leaders, who should represent us, the citizens who actually own the airport, don't care about such deadly flight practices that violate FAA's own flight regulations. If they did, they would require FAA to develop airport flight rules to protect us or, better yet, relocate the airport to a safer location. They don't care, but this board is charged to care. Many of you are expected to have questions and concerns about the continuous expansion of airport operations over the past 40 years without a single open public meeting for public input and agreement. We've never had such opportunity and I have a starter list of 16 questions to which you and the public need answers. (1) Why has the city refused to provide an understandable report showing how airport fuel and lease revenues have paid for the over $3 Million of city share of grant costs in addition to annual operations costs? (2) Why has the city refused to provide a clear title deed for airport property as required by state and federal regulations? (3) Why have no public meetings or hearings been made for any of the four airport master plans of 1980, 1998, 2005 and 2016 and their PROGRAMS for expanded airport operations? (4) Why have the four airport master plans excluded identification and discussions of potential public safety, health, and environmental impacts to those on the ground? (5) Why have the four airport master plans excluded potential adverse environmental impacts to the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone (EARZ) and the Edwards Aquifer due to potential exposure to hazardous materials? (6) On what justifiable then existing need was RW 18-36 increased in strength from 12,500 to 30,000 SWL and extended in length 900 lf by the 1980 Airport Master Plan? (7) On what justification did the city relocate Lakeway Drive and extend RW 18-36 without a prior public hearing for community awareness understanding as required by grant regulations? (8) Why is the city oblivious to the safety , health, and environmental hazards including debilitating noise of low flying aircraft over homes, schools, churches, and nursing homes near the airport without demanding FAA flight rules to mitigate these concerns? (9) Why did the city not conduct one or more public hearings prior to construction of the air traffic control tower in the face of documented public objections? (10) Why has the city failed to establish an airport non-compatible land use property development ordinance required by state and federal grant regulations? (11) Why did the city zone the airport property for industrial and planned unit development permitting storage and use of hazardous materials atop the EARZ without in-place pro-active inspection/enforcement measures to protect the Edwards Aquifer? (12) Why did the city approve the 2016 Airport Master Plan and construction PROGRAM that included the removal of 48 homes, 9 sections of local streets and 3 sections of major city roadways within the crash and explosion "Runway Protection Zones" and "Object Free Areas"? (13) By what justification did the city ignore the 2005 Airport Master Plan and expand capacity of the Fuel Farm from 22,000 to 35,000 gallons capacity when in the master plan it states that the fuel capacity was sufficient for the planning period? (14) Why was RW 18- 36 redone and doubled in strength when the FAA inspection done 3 months prior to the decision to redo the runway stated that the runway was in “GOOD” condition. (15) Why has the city and TxDOT refused to publish Garver LLC's final design strength of RW 18-36? and (16) At the current rate of airport operations expansion, what is the operations capacity of the airport's current facilities and what expected year will that capacity be reached? Mr. Chairman, we again demand open GTAB public airport workshops for governmental transparency and accountability.