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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-11-2008 Airport Commission Meeting Minutes MINUTES FINAL Iowa City Airport Commission September 11,2008 Iowa City Airport Terminal—5:45 PM Members Present: Greg Farris, Janelle Rettig,Howard Horan, Randy Hartwig,John Staley Staff Present: Sue Dulek,Michael Tharp Others Present: David Hughes, Phillip Woolford,Dave Larson,Harrel Timmons, Minnetta Gardinier,Diane Lamb,Jeff Graham,John Shive, Brian Douglas RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: DETERMINE QUORUM: The meeting was called to order at 5:49 P.M. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 14,2008 MEETINGS: Farris asked if anyone had any comments or changes to the August 14 minutes. Hartwig stated that he had a couple items. He asked if the name shouldn't be"Mike Hall"on the minutes,instead of"Hull." He also pointed out under Public Discussion,where the topic was about the activities of the crop dusters,that it is not illegal for them to not have radios. He didn't feel that this was clear here. Hartwig also noted on page 4,paragraph F,Runway 7/25,that he would like to clarify this, as well. He believes there is some information out there that the runway would be done by the first football game. He wanted to highlight that the date is for October. Dulek asked Tharp to check the recording from the meeting to see what date was stated, in order to correct the minutes as discussed. Hartwig also noted on page 3,where it states that Dane introduced Larson, that it was the other way around. Horan moved to approve the minutes of the August 14,2008 meeting as amended; seconded by Staley. Carried 3-0; Farris abstaining and Rettig not present. PUBLIC DISCUSSION: None. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION/ACTION: Iowa City Airport Commission September 11,2008 Page 2 of 9 a. Aviation Commerce Park—Tharp reported that he spoke to Peggy Slaughter earlier today. She did not have any updates for the Commission,but did relay that she is going back to some of the larger developers who had shown interest. Hartwig stated that the ITC building is coming along nicely, and he believes they take possession soon. b. Request for permission to sublease Hangar#16—Farris noted that Members should have a letter regarding this sublease request. Hartwig noted that he appreciates that Forrest Holly asked permission from the Commission. He added that he has no problem with the request,but added that he would like to make sure that the person who will be subleasing knows that if Forrest Holly does not continue his lease, once it expires it would go to the next person on the waiting list, and not the subleasee. Horan and Staley both agreed with this. Staley moved to approve the sublease as presented,seconded by Horan. Carried 4-0,Rettig absent. Hartwig moved to discuss Item 4.c.until after Item 4.f.; Staley seconded. Carried 4- 0,Rettig absent. Tharp noted that he bad received a phone call earlier from Mr.Larson, stating that he would be at tonight's meeting. c. Dane/Larson Land Sale Request— (Rettig arrived at the meeting) d. University of Iowa Aircare Facility—Staley noted for the record that he would recuse himself from this item due to a conflict of interest. He then introduced Diane Lamb,Nurse Manager for Aircare. Lamb introduced Jeff Graham, Aviation Site Manager and Lead Mechanic, and John Shive, Lead Mechanic. She began with a review of what Aircare is,noting that it was the first hospital-based program in the State. Their first flight was April 1 of 1979. In 1988, a second helicopter was added to the program, and is housed in Waterloo. An average of 1,000 patient transports are performed each year. The majority of them terminate here in Iowa City,according to Lamb. Lamb further explained what aircraft they currently use,noting that she put some information in the handout for the Members' review on this. She noted that she also included some maps,showing Members the response area that they cover. Lamb stated that presently their hangar facility is located on the Oakdale Campus of the University. Lamb continued her presentation, stating that what they would be looking for in a new hangar would be more floor space,one that could handle three helicopters,would be optimal. They also need some storage room for parts,as all of the maintenance is performed here. An office area and crew quarters are also a necessity. Emergency power was also noted as being very important, as 2 Iowa City Airport Commission September 11, 2008 Page 3 of 9 are security and fire protection. Lamb continued, stating that in bringing this presentation to the Commission,they hope to open some discussion about bringing such a hangar to the Airport and working with the Commission to get to this goal. Tharp asked what the timeline is for this, and Lamb stated it would be two years,that there is a lot of construction going on at the Oakdale Campus, and things are beginning to move rapidly. Therefore, it is important that they get this issue resolved soon. Rettig asked Lamb for some clarification on their operations. Members then began a discussion, stating that location would be the most likely starting point, and they would need to see what is feasible. Lamb stated that everything is open at this point,whether the University would own or lease, and items such as this. Rettig explained how the FAA grants and funding play into the Airport's operations and how they would most likely need to handle something like this. She added that for the Airport to be able to build such a hangar within two years would be problematic,in her view,as they would have to borrow the money in order to build. The discussion turned to the cost of an 80 X 80 building,which is estimated to be around$750,000 (without any extras such as an office), and would easily be in the million dollar range with added amenities, such as fuel storage, crew quarters, emergency power,etc. Horan stated that he understands what Rettig is saying,but he questions the City putting something like this in their bond process with a 12-year payback. He believes having this operation at the Airport would be a great idea. Hartwig stated that he believes they should identify areas within the Airport that would work well for such a hangar. Members agreed that having the Aircare operation at the Airport would be a great idea, and they noted that they need to find out the best way to go about achieving this goal. Hartwig suggested a subcommittee be formed to begin this process. Farris noted that location and funding are definitely major beginning points,and he agreed that a subcommittee should be formed. Horan and Hartwig both volunteered to be on the subcommittee, and will work with Tharp on this. Members continued to discuss the best way to begin on this endeavor. Horan suggested that Aircare also come up with some sort of package to present,now that the discussion has started. Rettig pondered if the two different departments at the University couldn't come up with a way to share hangar space, some way to achieve what both need. e. Airport Safety—Traffic Pattern Operations—Hartwig spoke to this item, stating that he believes they need to discuss this thoroughly so they get everyone's input. The net effect of this would be that there would be as much traffic as possible to the south of the Airport,versus being over the heavier populated areas. Farris brought up that Burlington has a pattern like this. 3 Iowa City Airport Commission September 11,2008 Page 4 of 9 Hartwig noted that Ames does, as well. Jet Air spoke to this item, as well, giving their perspective on a right turn departure. Rettig asked how they would go about changing this pattern, and Tharp responded with the FAA's regulations. The discussion continued,with Members raising their concerns. Graham spoke about the air traffic around the U of I Hospitals and the need to make this as safe as possible,too. Rettig stated that she would like to give patrons of the Airport a chance to speak to this before they make any final decisions. Tharp explained the steps that they would follow if they decide to go through a public input process on a pattern change. Staley asked if someone could point out on the map what the exact change would be, and Tharp did this for those present. Farris suggested that Tharp look into this issue further and put together a schedule of steps they would need to take. Rettig moved to begin the process of considering a right-turn departure, seconded by Horan. Carried 5-0. f. FAA/IDOT Projects—Earth Tech—David Hughes i. Runway 7/25—Hughes stated that this project is going well. They have two more lanes to pave, and hope to have this done mid-to late next week,depending on weather. After the concrete cures, they can do the asphalt-filling portion of the project. October 20th is the projected completion date for this. The FAA was in town yesterday, and did a site visit with Hughes on the project. ii. South Aviation Development Study—Hughes stated that they have received comments from the FAA on this. They are reviewing these, and Hughes hopes to discuss these in more detail at a conference next week. He noted that there is a presentation with City staff on the 18th at 1:30 to go over these comments. He further explained what they would need to get done before anything could take place in the South Aviation area. Hartwig asked Hughes when the upcoming FAA conference is in Kansas City. Hughes responded that next Tuesday and Wednesday are the conference dates. iii. South Taxilane Rehab—Hughes stated that they do have a contractor for this, and he is awaiting parts before he can start. This will tie the drainage into the storm sewer system. iv. 2008 Pavement Rehab(North Taxilanes)—Hughes stated that they did receive three bids,one for asphalt and two for concrete. The low bid was higher than the engineer's estimate. In talking to the State,however, Hughes stated they might be able to obtain more funds for this. Hartwig asked what the timeframe is for this,noting his concern for the construction season ending if the weather gets bad. He asked if the State would agree to a springtime start,but Dulek noted that they couldn't award a contract now and have the job done next year. Discussion continued,with Hughes stating what the numbers are: project application$175,050,with the grant 4 Iowa City Airport Commission September 11,2008 Page 5 of 9 being 40%of this. This requires$12,000 plus from the State,in order to complete this. The City then needs to have 15%or around $3,000. Members continued to discuss their options on this matter, and it was noted they could award this contingent on the financing. Rettig moved to Consider Resolution#A08-30 Accepting Bids and Awarding Contract,Contingent Upon Financing; seconded by Horan. Carried 5-0. Hartwig suggested that Tharp put something together for the tenants so they know what is going on, as well. v. Jet A Fuel System/AvGas Upgrade—Hughes stated they are awaiting some final OEM manuals on this, and once received,they should be ready to close this out. vi. Terminal Apron Rehab—All closeout documents have been received, and Hughes is recommending approval of accepting this work. Rettig moved to Consider Resolution#A08-31 Accepting the Terminal Apron Rehab Work,seconded by Hartwig. Carried 5-0. vii. Obstruction Mitigation—Hughes stated the contractor is behind on his contract days with the hangar removal. He has been notified of this. Horan asked further about this, and Hughes responded. Hughes added that MidAmerican is still working on their relocation efforts. viii. Building H—Hughes stated that they spoke with some electrical contractors, and they do not feel they should put this out to bid again quite yet. Rettig noted that she wants to be clear in regards to an email she received,that she feels they have done everything they can to build this hangar. Due to the current conditions, however, and the University's cap on what they can pay,there is no way that the Airport can proceed with the bid they received. Rettig noted that she would like to see them stay at the Airport,but she again stated that the bids were too high and they had to reject them for that reason. Hughes suggested getting this project under contract sometime in February. (Item 4.c. Dane/Larson Land Sale Request) c. Tharp stated that he does not have any further information on this,but he thought Mr. Larson might. Mr. Larson stated that he has nothing further for the Commission. Tharp noted they still need FAA release before they can do this,and would need a full proposal in order to do this. Rettig asked if there are any safety concerns for this area, and Hughes replied. Discussion continued,with Members agreeing that a current appraisal needs to be done. There is a May 2007 appraisal available, and Dulek noted that they could check with the FAA to see if they can use this. 5 Iowa City Airport Commission September 11, 2008 Page 6 of 9 g. Airport"Operations"; Strategic Plan-Implementation; Budget; Management— Rettig asked Tharp about a couple line items,and he explained what the charges were for. She noted that she believes they need to have a monthly mechanical budget to cover these types of things. Tharp stated that City staff is willing to meet with them in a work type session to explain these types of things, and to allow Members to ask whatever questions they may have. Tharp asked if Members would like for him to do this. He then asked that Members email him as soon as possible so that he can set up a meeting with City staff to cover budget questions. The discussion turned to the FY10 budget packets,which are due by October 2nd. Farris noted that they can either review this at a working session, or they can have a subcommittee go through and report to the Commission as a whole. Members decided to set up a subcommittee to review the budget. Rettig and Farris volunteered to take on this task with Tharp. Rettig stated that if others have capitol improvement issues to let them know before they do the budget review so they can keep these things in mind. Rettig noted some of the differences from budgeted to final in the budget numbers. h. Engineering Consultant Selection—Tharp stated that they need to have a new contract in place for the next Federal grant cycle. They either do a 5-year plan,or they do this process for every FAA project, each year. After some discussion, Tharp noted that the FAA is agreeable to the 5-year plan being discussed. Hartwig noted that he believes there is a benefit to the 5-year, versus a yearly. Tharp added that they could either set up a subcommittee to review this, or have the entire Commission review for this consultant selection. Hartwig stated that he would be in favor of Tharp and Farris doing a review. Rettig spoke about a scoring method on these qualifications, and whether the FAA has this sort of thing. Tharp noted that under Selection Process, Item#2,there is a list of 20 or so selection criteria they can work from. Members continued to discuss how they would like to proceed with this and what specifications they may have. Tharp noted that they need to have something in place by the end of November for a recommendation. Horan moved to approve the process for Request for Qualifications,seconded by Rettig. Carried 5-0. The subcommittee will consist of Hartwig, as well as City staff. i. FBO Staff Report—Timmons addressed Members, stating that once again the Iowa City Airport is going to be on the national horizon. It is the 90th year of the U.S. Air Routes and the U.S. Post Office and a large group out of California have put together a group of the old original airplanes that actually flew these routes. They are flying from New York to San Francisco, and are stopping at selected routes along the way. Possibly due to the connection with the Stearman group,the Iowa City Airport is one of the stops. At each stop, a lot of news media have shown up, and tomorrow, he stated,they plan to be in Iowa City,weather permitting. Timmons stated that they have started to see 6 Iowa City Airport Commission September 11,2008 Page 7 of 9 an increase in business,though things are still down from where they had been. Additionally,he briefly addressed the Building H issue, and also the importance of fuel sales at the Airport. The University Aircare issue was discussed too at some length with respect to fuel sales. j. Subcommittees' Reports—Farris noted the various subcommittees that they set up this evening. He also addressed the viewing area, noting that the shelter is up and shingled. He stated that they hope to address the concrete pad and sidewalk needs with other concrete projects at the Airport. Farris then talked about the"Take Flight"exhibit at the Children's' Museum,and a possible partnership with them on a special project. k. Commission Members' Reports—Hartwig spoke to the Air Mall flights. He also mentioned the biplanes over the weekend, and noted that there were a lot of people going up for flights. Hartwig also spoke to the runway completion and having some kind of official opening ceremony for this. Farris asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to plan this. Hartwig suggested they think about the first take off and first landing too. Rettig noted that the Natural Resources Commission was in Bellevue today, and several attendees flew in on a Cessna. She also noted that today is September 11th,and that there are still security risks in general aviation and that awareness should continue to be maintained. Horan stated that the pancake breakfast enjoyed a beautiful day. Farris apologized for missing last month's meeting and thanked Rettig for chairing the meeting. He also thanked Horan for the meeting he participated in. Farris noted that he was at the City Council meeting this past Tuesday and he spoke to them about the Airport's projects. He spoke about the AIP tour yesterday, and stated it was mostly a cursory review. 1. Staff Report—Tharp spoke to the meeting that he and Horan took part in with the State. He hopes to have a final report soon. Rettig then asked about the roofing projects,and Tharp stated that he did obtain a second bid on this. The final cost is right now about half of what they originally estimated. However, he has been made aware of a couple spots that need some repair still. The Hertz roof has been completed,and the drywall will be repaired next, according to Tharp. 7 Iowa City Airport Commission September 11, 2008 Page 8 of 9 SET NEXT REGULAR MEETING FOR: October 9, 2008 at 5:45 P.M. Rettig noted that she might not make this meeting due to a prior engagement. ADJOURN: Hartwig moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:18 P.M.,seconded by Rettig. Carried 5-0. c ;� (DA C EASON DA 8 4 Iowa City Airport Commission September 11,2008 Page 9 of 9 Airport Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2008 (Meeting Dates) TERM 1/10 2/14 3/6 3/13 4/10 4/28 5/8 5/22 6/9 6/13 7/10 7/24 NAME EXP. Randy Hartwig 3/1/09 X X X X X X X X WE X X Meeting cancelled Greg Farris 3/1/13 X X X X X X X X X X X Meeting cancelled John Staley 3/1/10 X X X X X X X O/E O/E X X Meeting cancelled Howard Horan 3/1/14 X X — X X X X X X X X Meeting cancelled Janelle Rettig 3/1/12 X X X X X X X O/E X X X Meeting cancelled (CONT.) TERM. 8/14 9/11 EXP. Randy Hartwig 3/1/09 X X Greg Farris 3/1/13 O/E X John Staley 3/1/10 X X Howard Horan 3/1/14 X X Janelle Rettig 3/1/12 X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E= Absent/Excused NM= No meeting — = Not a Member 9