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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_GTAB_11.12.2021Minutes of the Meeting of the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board and the Governing Body of the City of Georgetown, Texas November 12, 2021 Board Members Present: John Hesser, Michael Miles, James Hougnon, Alfred Hajka, George (Jerry) McCulley, Amanda Parr, Felix Boston & Jake French Board Members Absent: Robert Redoutey Staff Present: Eric Johnson, Wayne Nero, Cindy Medrano, Sheila Mitchell, Danielle Dutra, Chris Pousson, Jeff Belding & Aaron St. Pierre Others Present: Larry Brundige, Hugh (Carl) Norris, Derek Mayo, John Mutchler, Jonathan Tronson, Lucia Murguia & Ken McHenry Regular Session A. Call to Order: Meeting called to order by Chair John Hesser at 10:04am 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 Visitors: All board members, visitors, and staff were introduced. C. Public Wishing to Address the Board On a subject not posted on the agenda: Persons may add an item to a future Regular scheduled Board agenda by filing a written request with the Staff Liaison no later than one week prior to the Board meeting. The request must include the speaker's name and the specific topic to be addressed with sufficient information to inform the board and the public. Only those persons who have submitted a timely request will be allowed to speak. For Board Liaison contact information, please logon to http:llg_eor ge to wn. or glbo ards and commissions At the time of this posting, no persons had signed up to address the Board. D. November 2021 GTAB Updates - Chris Pousson, CIP Manager • Pousson provided the board with transportation updates throughout the City of Georgetown. • Vice Chair, Miles, verified 30% design completion on DB Wood Road as stated by Pousson. Miles also asked how many more meetings with residents are scheduled. Pousson stated, there are 2 meetings scheduled for next week, some residents have not responded to meeting requests. Miles also inquired about the questions submitted at the initial informational meeting for DB Wood residents in May/June. Questions have not been published or answered and returned to homeowners. Pousson will follow up with management on this concern to determine timeline on information release. E. Airport Monthly Report - Eric Johnson, Public Works Director ■ Johnson provided the board with the monthly airport update. ■ The Airport is currently working with IT to purchase a Virtower, LLC Monitoring System which will allow for real time operational counts as well as Base Aircraft Inventory, and Noise Mitigation tools • On October 26, 2021, City Council approved a resolution amending the naming of the Georgetown Municipal Airport to the Georgetown Executive Airport at Johnny Gantt Field. • The prominent FBO chain Cutter Aviation has purchased Larry Wood's FBO and related ground/facility lease. • Board Chair, Hesser inquired about the financial impact of the Cutter Aviation purchase. Johnson stated that legal counsel has reviewed financials and advised to move forward with Cutter. • Hesser would like to get started on the process for the future runway expansion on current airport grounds for safety without expanding the current airport footprint. ■ Board member, Boston asked which runways will be expanded? Johnson stated that a decision has not been made on runways at this time. There were two (2) statements submitted for this item. The written statement is attached to the minutes. Note, Brundige allocated his three (3) minutes to Norris. Legislative Regular Agenda F. Consideration and possible action to approve the October 8, 2021, minutes of the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board — Danielle Dutra, Board Liaison ■ MOTION by French, second by Hajka. APPROVED unanimously 8-0-1 Redoutey absent G. Consideration and possible action to recommend approval of a Texas Department of Transportation Grant (21CRGEORG) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus in the amount of $23,000. -Eric Johnson, Public Works Director. Board asked where the grant money goes in the FY22 budget? Johnson stated that the funds go into the Airport Operating Budget. • Board clarified that funds are available through 2025. Johnson confirmed, yes funds are available to cover costs associated with coronavirus through 2025. • MOTION by Parr, second by McCulley. APPROVED unanimously 8-0-1 Redoutey absent. H. Consideration and possible action to recommend approval of a Texas Department of Transportation Grant (21TWGEORG) to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus in the amount of $34,162. -Eric Johnson, Public Works Director. • Board asked why there are two (2) different grants to prevent, prepare and respond to coronavirus. Johnson stated that this is how the grants were offered. • MOTION by Miles, second by Parr. APPROVED unanimously 8-0-1 Redoutey absent. I. Consideration and possible action to recommend the adoption of a formal Georgetown Executive Airport at Johnny Gantt Field Leasing Policy. - Eric Johnson, Public Works Director. o Board had statements/comments about the current document as written. After a lengthy discussion board decided to table this item until the December 10, 2021 GTAB meeting. • All GTAB members wanting to submit comments on this item need to do so by end of business on Monday, November 29, 2021. Please email comments to board liaison, Danielle Dutra at dariielle.dutra@georgetown.com. MOTION by McCulley, second by Miles. APPROVED 7-0-2 Redouty absent, Parr left before discussion was complete, to table item until the December 10, 2021 GTAB meeting. Adjournment • MOTION by Miles, second by French. APPROVED unanimously 8-0-2 Redoutey absent, Parr left the meeting before adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 11:23 AM Liaison Aos�e'4 itey — Secretary ACC GTAB STATEMENT NOVEMBER 12, 2021 AGENDA ITEM `°E" AIRPORT MONTHLY REPORT 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). This statement is on behalf of their members and the general public who overwhelmingly objected to the original official request to change the name of our airport. We reject the fraudulent resolution passed by our City Council on October 26, 2021 to change the name of our airport to the secretly contrived name no one formally requested, no one wanted, no public hearings or comment periods were held and violates our city renaming policy, Resolution 111406-U. Let's review this issue together. On November 12, 2019, the City Council was presented with a formal request by a respected businessman pursuant to Resolution 111406-U to change name of our citizen owned and fiscally responsible Georgetown Municipal Airport to "Johnny Gantt Regional Airport" and change the airport terminal building name to the "Buz Landry Terminal Building". Pursuant to established resolution policy the City Council established a five person airport rename committee, a public hearing and comment period, a review of public acceptance or refusal and a committee report back to council with a recommendation for action. This process was extensively covered for prior public information and awareness by front page exposure in our local newspaper and social media. The public hearing was held on December 19, 2019, the comment period ended on January 20, 2020. With no prior public awareness notices, the committee met on February 4, 2020 in an undisclosed location and reviewed public statements and comments. Apparently the committee was disturbed that 69% of the commenting public OPPOSED the requested change in airport name. Many public approval comments recommended alternate means of recognition of Mr. Gantt's community services. Without public information to the contrary, the committee huddled together and, recognizing increasing documented public controversy due to avoidance of the NEPA for use of state and federal taxpayer grants for expansion of airport operations facilities, schemed a name designed to shift public focus of citizen airport responsibilities to a handful of executive elites most of whom would never be citizens of our city and change public perception of our airport to that of a small executive airport such as at Pflugerville with no FAA Reliever and Central Texas expanding operations responsibilities. The committee, on its own and without prior public notice and review, proposed "Georgetown Executive Airport at Johnny Gantt Field". This illegitimate name was presented and approved by City Council on February 25, 2020 with a recommendation that final action should occur in May, 2020. Twenty months of cold silence then followed to allow the public to forget the issue. With no prior public information by ample city PIO methods AND airport staff presentations to this board prior to or at its October 8, 2021 meeting, the City Council met on October 26, 2021 and unanimously passed Resolution 102621-AF approving the committee's new contrived airport name and proceeded with requests to TxDOT and FAA for their dual approval and implementation. Resolution 102621-AF is fraudulent on a number of issues including: Within the "Whereas" portions of the preamble and in descending order; the first; FALSE! The portion of the committee's name, "Georgetown Executive Airport", was contained in the 2013 airport business study by CH2MHill, Inc along with others including "Airport Authority". All consultant suggestions for airport name change were rejected by city officials; the second: FALSE! The official requested airport name change WAS NOT a generalized change to honor Mr. Gantt, but a specific name change of "Johnny Gantt Regional Airport"; The third: FALSE! The renaming committee received public statements and comments OVERWHELMINGLY OPPOSED to the official requested name change; the fourth: TRUE! But, email documentation dated May 7, 2020 and August 4 through September 2, 2020 advised council members of detailed invalidity of the committee's and council's name change. Within the "resolution", Section 2, FALSE! Three of the four facts and recitations within the preamble ARE NOT TRUE! Mr. Chairman, this board has the authority and responsibility to recommend to City Council termination of efforts to obtain approval of TxDOT and FAA of defective Resolution 102621-AF and require ANY NEW airport name be properly requested, publicly reviewed and resolved pursuant to established policy, Resolution 111406-U. Please do so! Your questions or comments will be appreciated.