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.