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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-12-2006 Airport Commission Meeting Minutes MINUTES FINAL Iowa City Airport Commission October 12,2006 Iowa City Airport Terminal—5:45 PM Members Present: Randy Hartwig, Chair;John Staley; Janelle Rettig;Howard Horan, Greg Farris Staff Present: Sue Dulek,Michael Tharp Others Present: David Hughes,Earth Tech; Jon Ockefels,Jay Honeck, Harry Wolf, Philip Wolford, Harrell Timmons DETERMINE QUORUM: Chairperson Hartwig called the meeting to order at 5:47 PM. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: NONE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 14 AND SEPTEMBER 18, 2006,MEETINGS: Hartwig asked if the members had any corrections or changes to the above-named minutes, and if none,he asked for a motion to approve both sets of minutes. Rettig pointed out a spelling error in her name on the September 14th Minutes Staley moved to accept the minutes of the September 14 and September 18,2006 meetings as amended; seconded by Horan. Motion carried 5-0. PUBLIC DISCUSSION: None. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION/ACTION: A. FAA/MOT Projects—Earth Tech—David Hughes a. Runway 7/25—Hughes told the Commission that since the last meeting,the runway project has gotten caught up somewhat, due to the nice weather, and are now at about 85% on schedule. Hughes stated that they still plan to complete the hauling of fill this season. Hughes next addressed the box culvert project. He briefly talked about the grants that are involved in these projects and their status. Hughes stated that they have been working with MidAmerican Energy on the obstruction mitigation with power lines. He stated they are currently revising this and he hopes to hear from them soon. b. Taxi-lane North Tee's and Parking Lot Rehab—This project is basically complete from the construction standpoint. Hughes was asked a question regarding repairing the damage to Building A,and stated the contractor is getting an estimate on this.Hughes stated once Airport Commission October 12,2006 Page 2 of 8 they have this estimate,the company that hit the hangar can pay the bill for repair. Members asked Hughes more questions regarding this situation. Rettig asked how they could assist the tenant in this hangar so they won't have to be displaced too much during repairs. c. Terminal Apron 1. Update—Hughes stated that the FAA changed the plan somewhat so they had to do a rewrite on their agreement and it is not ready at this time. 2. Supplemental Agreement No. 7 1. Consider a Resolution approving Supplemental Agreement No. 7 for Services Related to Terminal apron Rehabilitation—Tharp stated that they will need a motion to defer this until next month's meeting. Rettig moved to defer this Resolution until next month's meeting; seconded by Horan. Motion carried 5-0. Rettig made the motion to move Item C—South Aviation Development up in the order and Item B—Grass Landing Strip down; seconded by Farris. Motion carried 5-0. B. South Aviation Development—Hughes stated that they have completed the draft of the Aviation Forecast and are awaiting comments at this point. He stated that once these are received,they will send this on to the F.A.A. Once they have this, Hughes stated they can move forward. Members asked questions of Hughes on what is being proposed regarding development. Hartwig noted that the City Council had indicated they would like to have a joint meeting with the Airport Commission regarding this subject and was working to get a date set up. C. Grass Landing Strip—Jon Ockenfels addressed the Commission regarding a grass landing strip. He stated that with the increase in people building their own airplanes and rebuilding older planes,that there is a need for a grass landing strip,adding that some pilots will not land on anything but a grass strip. He further stated that Ron O'Neil had requested Dick Blum to research the feasibility of this topic and submitted his findings to the Airport Commission back in approximately 2003. Ockenfels gave the Members some background on various findings by himself and Dick Blum in the past,when they were researching a grass strip. He stated that it would be somewhere between 2,100 to 2,500 feet long and about 75 feet wide. Discussion continued with Members asking questions of Ockefels regarding the use, care, and safety of a grass landing strip. Horan stated that he thinks it's a good idea. Staley asked how this would fit into their Strategic Plan, and stated that he feels it would fit into their goals, but he questioned the money aspect of it. Tharp noted that he would try to locate the research that Ockefels mentioned. (TAPE ENDS) D. Aviation Commerce Park—Wolf addressed the Members regarding the Aviation Commerce Park, stating that he does not have a lot of news to share. He stated that he is working with City staff and moving ahead with a marketing strategy for the Airport Commission October 12, 2006 Page 3 of 8 Commerce Park. He stated that there have been two groups that have shown serious interest,which has led to discussions with the Engineering Department on various issues. Wolf stated that the City Attorney's office sent a letter today, stating that there will be a pre-approved agreement ready, and Wolf stated that they will be responding to these development groups who have shown interest. Horan stated that he feels the Commission is not a part of this decision—that their land is being sold without their part in the decision. Wolf stated that once there is a firm offer, then the Commission would need to call a meeting to discuss it. Horan stated that, for the record,he feels they should be mindful of how some of these deals could go, stating that a private developer would own the land and then would lease to tenants, and then after 30 years,the developer would have $30 million worth of land that the City sold for$2 million. Wolf noted that he is under the directive to sell the property to a single developer, via City staff. Horan again noted that for the record,this is the City staffs directive, and that this is the Airport's property but they are not in control of it. The discussion then turned to the zoning issues, and how changes had been made during the Wal-Mart offer. E. T-Hanger Use Agreement between University of Iowa and Airport Commission a. Consider a Resolution Accepting T-Hangar Use Agreement with University of Iowa for Hangar#42—Tharp noted that the Use Agreement- T-Hangar Lease was modified to fit the University's language, and otherwise is the same agreement they've maintained with the University. Rettig asked questions of Tharp regarding new tenants and how they could be notified of these. She continued, asking various questions about current tenants and storage issues, especially when there are pilots on a waiting list for hangar space. Horan took the discussion into the topic of raising rents and discussing the non-flying tenants paying higher rental rates. He further addressed the issue of making the Airport more economically feasible. Ockenfels spoke to the Members about storing airplanes, stating that there are many airplanes that don't fly, but they are often in the process of getting restored or possibly sold, and hangars are the only places to store airplanes. He noted that as long as tenants are following the lease language/agreement, then what they do with their hangar is legal, and he feels that if those waiting for space are willing to pay for space, the Airport should be building more hangars. Farris moved to accept Resolution No._A06-23 , T-Hangar Use Agreement with the University of Iowa for Hangar#42; seconded by Horan. Resolution approved 5-0. F. Corporate Hangar Lease Agreement with Keith Roof a. Consider a Resolution Accepting Agreement with Keith Roof dba Iowa City Aircraft Repair for Hangar#32—Tharp stated that this is a renewal agreement that is a 3-year agreement. He noted that rent on this space Airport Commission October 12, 2006 Page 4 of 8 increases approximately $20 per year. Rettig noted that the increase has not kept up with the inflation rate, bringing up that they need to increase their revenue with hangars. Rettig asked various questions of Tharp regarding this tenant,bringing up the fact that language on the lease does not match with this tenant. Questions continued regarding commercial agreements and this tenant. Rettig stated that Item C should be removed, or the agreement changed to reflect the correct wording. Tharp noted that C and D are the conflicting clauses and could be removed. Rettig suggested adding, "Without the prior written approval of the Commission" and have some type of agreement so that Roof can maintain his business,which is the intent of the agreement. Timmons spoke to the Commission about his years in the airport business and gave them a brief history of the same type of issues he encountered in the past. (TAPE ENDS) He related to the Members what FAA and Federal laws and rules are regarding business taking place at airports. The issue of liability was discussed next, with Timmons giving the Members some scenarios to consider. The Members decided to extend the current agreement with Roof under a month-to-month lease for now, until they can review this situation further. The issue of Kim Brogan doing business on Airport property was brought up, with the suggestion of anyone doing business on a regular basis at the Airport having a commercial agreement with the Airport. Rettig brought the discussion back to hangar rent, stating that she suggests they increase rental rates in order to bring rates in line with the Consumer Price Index. She stated that increases are needed in order to help them accomplish some of the goals they have set for themselves. The discussion continued, with Members discussing an increases to rental rates and how they want to handle commercial agreements, as well as how they will revise said agreement with Roof Hartwig stated that they will gather some of these various figures and data and will review this at next month's meeting. Rettig moved to defer consideration of this Resolution until next month's meeting; seconded by Staley. Motion carried 5-0. G. Parking Policy—Hartwig stated that he doesn't think he's quite ready to adopt this policy yet,but he is willing to discuss it. Tharp agreed. Staley asked some questions regarding the Hertz parking. Rettig then brought up several issues. One was in regards to the "inoperable"vehicles issue. Under"long-term"parking, Rettig stated that she feels they should have it worded: "Any period lasting 14 days or more, but less than one month," so it's not left open. Then under"transient long-term," she stated they could say: "Vehicles located at the Airport longer than one month. Vehicles must be used for the purposes of transporting frequent aircraft passengers." Rettig then stated that she is trying to get at the transient long-term wording, somewhere around one month. Members then brought up various questions and issues regarding the proposed policy. Hartwig stated that he wants to make sure they don't create problems where they currently don't have problems. Rettig continued, Airport Commission October 12, 2006 Page 5 of 8 stating that under"long-term" and"transient long-term,"these situations need to have proof of insurance in order to park on the Airport property. She would like to see a sentence added,too, that addresses "approval by the Airport or FBO personnel." Timmons spoke to the Members regarding various real-life situations where a parking policy could create problems. He shared some of the instances at the Galesburg Airport with Members, and also gave them some scenarios that could take place at the Iowa City Airport. He stated that the"transient long-term"parking is a very valid thing and that the Airport should make some money with this. Rettig suggested a sign being placed at the entrance to the Airport, stating parking rules. Horan brought the discussion back to having proof of insurance and how they should address this. (TAPE ENDS) Members stated that they feel this parking policy has become too much, and since they haven't had any big problems with parking,they should keep it simple. Hartwig stated that he would like to go ahead with the signage and asked that Members come up with what they want on a sign regarding parking. Various amounts for both monthly and yearly parking were discussed among the Members. Tharp will come up with a more condensed version of the parking policy for the Members to discuss at another meeting. H. Airport"Operations"; Strategic Plan-Implementation; Budget; and Airport Management—Rettig thanked Tharp for putting the Capital Projects on the front page of the report. She asked Tharp if he could add a Year-to-Date Total, as well, on the City Budget. Rettig asked further questions regarding the budget, stating that she would like to see them move ahead with the painting project. Tharp responded to some of Rettig's questions regarding budgeted dollars, stating that he needed to do some follow-up. The discussion turned to Rettig talking about the levy for the next budget, stating that they have asked for the same levy funding as the current year, in the sense that the general levy budget will remain the same at $109,000, and will not decrease. She gave the Members a rundown of the various items that have been requested. Hartwig stated that the fencing for the viewing area is now complete and looks good. He stated that they need to discuss how they want to make the area useful. He noted that Dan Clay had been working on this project prior to leaving the Commission. Hartwig stated that he would like to get some input on what people would like to see here. Farris noted that he looked into how a couple of other places have handled this type of thing, and he gave Members various ideas that he's heard of. I. Subcommittees' Reports—Tharp talked about the Communications Subcommittee, stating that they had a draft of the Airport Newsletter ready. Horan asked if they have a mailing list, and Tharp will look into acquiring one. Rettig noted that the new computer has given Tharp an easier time of creating a newsletter. Staley mentioned contacting the Chamber of Commerce regarding getting the newsletter out into the community. Tharp asked for Member's feedback on his draft. Rettig noted that she has Kinnick photos for Tharp and will get those to him. • ' Airport Commission October 12,2006 Page 6 of 8 COMMISSION MEMBERS' REPORTS—Hartwig noted the article in the Gazette on Terry Edmonds and his glider. Tharp noted that he was working on a Request for Proposals for cleaning services and the Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled for next Wednesday, and proposals are due on November 2d. He will let the Commission know how it goes at the November meeting. Hartwig noted that with the Airplane crash yesterday,Members may want to go to the AOPA web site and read some of the useful information, especially when talking to the press, etc. Horan noted that he attended the September City Council meeting, and stated that he followed a speaker who spoke about fights downtown during a U of I game, and stated that what he said regarding the Airport probably got lost after this man spoke. Horan also spoke about them developing some type of usage information that would not invade privacy,but that would increase their exposure in general aviation. He will send Members a link to the web site he is referring to. (TAPE ENDS) Horan also noted the blimp presence during the U of I game recently. STAFF REPORT—Tharp noted that the new taxiways are quite nice. Rettig stated that she wanted to say she brought up the T-hangar issue because she was approached by someone who is an Airport tenant. Tharp noted that he did attend the FAA Regional Conference recently. He stated that the current state planner is leaving in November, and he hopes to get the new planner to the Iowa City Airport at some point. Tharp briefly discussed the FAA conference and various issues that were prevalent at the conference. He stated that the Iowa Airports Conference will be held in Des Moines on April 4 and 5, 2007, and he encouraged Members to attend, stating that it's a good chance to meet people in the field. SET NEXT REGULAR MEETING FOR: November 9, 2006 AT 5:45 P.M. A24t. 0 JOURN—Meeting adjourned at 8:00 P.M. 1h—tut /I- PI- 06 Chairperson Date Airport Commission October 12, 2006 Page 7 of 8 Airport Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2006 (Meeting Date) TERM 1/12 2/9 3/9 4/13 5/1 5/11 5/31 6/8 6/16 6/23 6/27 7/13 NAME EXP. Daniel Clay 3/1/08 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- Randy Hartwig 3/1/09 X X X X X X X X X O/E X X Greg Farris 3/1/07 0 X X X X X X X X X O/E O/E John Staley 3/1/06 X X X X X X O/E X X O/E X X Howard Horan 3/1/08 X X X X X X X X X X X X Janelle Rettig 3/1/12 -- — X X X X X X X X X X 7/27 8/10 9/14 9/18 10/12 Randy Hartwig 3/1/09 X X X X X Greg Farris 3/1/07 O/E X X X X John Staley 3/1/10 X X X X X Howard Horan 3/1/08 X X X X X Janelle Rettig 3/1/12 O/E X X X X KEY: X = Present 0 = Absent O/E= Absent/Excused NM= No meeting -- = Not a Member