HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-10-2003 Airport Commission Meeting Minutes A-
MINUTES
IOWA CITY AIRPORT COMMISSION
THURSDAY,APRIL 10,2003—5:45 P.M.
IOWA CITY AIRPORT TERMINAL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Michelle Robnett,Baron Thrower,Alan Ellis,Randy Hartwig,Rick
Mascari
STAFF PRESENT: Sue Dulek,Ron O'Neil
CALL TO ORDER:
Chairperson Ellis called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Dulek suggested that the minutes should reflect who voted and who abstained when the
Commission voted for officers. O'Neil said he would review the tape and report on the vote. The
minutes of the March 13 and February 17,2003 Commission meetings were approved with
O'Neil to verify the vote for the officers.
AUTHORIZATION OF EXPENDITURES:
Ellis said he thought the payment to Stanley was to be delayed. O'Neil said the invoice from
Stanley had been revised. The percentage of work left to be completed was changed. Ellis asked
if the fee for Aviation Business Solutions was included as part of the Airport budget or as a
capital project? O'Neil said the operating budget was amended to pay for the project. Mascari
made a motion to pay the bills. Hartwig seconded the motion.The motion passed 5—0.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION—ITEMS NOT ON AGENDA:
Mascari said he had an issue for discussion. Dulek said he should bring up the issue under
Commission members' items. Mascari said he wanted to bring it up as public discussion because
it had nothing to do with Commission items. Dulek advised Mascari to bring it up under
Commission time. Mascari said he wanted to bring it up at this time. He said he has an old van
that he uses to transport fuel from the self-service pump to his hangar. He would like to park the
van at the Airport. O'Neil said he would advise against it since this was not an approved vehicle
for transporting fuel and it would set a example for others that want to store vehicles at the
Airport.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION/ACTION:
a. Jet Air lease amendment-Bldg.D and H—Ellis said Jet Air was going to give the
Commission an update on Jet Air's first year in Iowa City. He said that he would
recommend the Commission listen to the information,but table the vote on the lease
amendment until the next meeting. O'Neil suggested that Jet Air make their presentation
and if the Commission was not ready to vote,they could defer the item. He said the space
exchange was a straightforward issue they discussed before and he could explain it to the
Commission after Jet Air was finished.
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Several representatives from Jet Air were present. Harrol Timmons,president of Jet Air,
circulated information to the Commission. He said that Jet Air would be having an open
house on May 3 and he invited everyone to attend.
Timmons said Jet Air has 8 full-time employees and 10 part-time employees. He said there
is a King Air turbo-prop and two twin engine Cessna based in Iowa City to use for their
charter business. Next week,a 2003 Cessna would be based in Iowa City. He said payroll
last year was over$200,000. He said fuel sales generated a good income. He said they
invested over$300,00 in capital investment at Iowa City last year. He said that they had
over$1,000,000 in sales the first year. He said there was more business traffic in Iowa City
than they had predicted. He said they only sold two planes in Iowa City last year but he was
expecting that would increase next year. Jet Air now has the franchise for Cessna aircraft for
almost the entire state of Iowa.
He said that income from aircraft maintenance would increase. Timmons said he is working
toward being certified as an aviation repair station. Iowa City will soon become a Cessna
repair station and a Cessna pilot center. He said Jet Air is optimistic and is in Iowa City for
the long haul.
Robnett asked what Jet Air is going to do about plane rental and instruction? Timmons said
he would like to expand in that area. Robnett asked if Jet Air was going to conduct ground
school training? She thought that would be an attraction. Timmons said a ground school is a
good thing to get people started. He said Cessna has an excellent ground school program.
Tom Schnell said he would be interested in collaborating with Jet Air on a ground school.
Timmons said it is very important to have good instructors.
Mascari asked if there was anything the Commission could do to help Jet Air? Timmons
said the Commission needs to keep promoting the Airport. He said that it has been his
experience that business leaders looking to build or expand their businesses don't come to
town on the bus or the train or by car. The guy that signs the check comes to town in an
airplane.
Thrower asked if Jet Air's Galesburg financial situation would change by adding on Iowa
City. As an example,would providing charter in Iowa City be competition for their other
operation? Timmons said he thought the Iowa City location would compliment the
Galesburg location. He said their charter and mechanic services customers come from all
over the United States. He said only about 5% of customers for those two services comes
from the Galesburg area. He said Iowa City has had a capital investment cost,but it has also
contributed to a positive revenue stream.
Ellis said that IOW and Jet Air are merging and he wanted to know how this would affect
services? He wanted to know how the Commission could help. Timmons said that most
communities have no idea how much of an investment a FBO makes in a local airport. He
said Jet Air would invest more in the future. Timmons said that airports are an intricate part
of a community. He said that more and more leaders and decision-makers are flying charter
as opposed to commercial airline service.
Ellis said the Commission needed to move on with the lease discussion. O'Neil said that
three or four months ago,he told the Commission that there were several people looking for
space at the Airport. The Civil Air Patrol was one of the groups. The Commission directed
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O'Neil to see if he could negotiate to provide space for everyone. The agreement on the
agenda represented the results of the negotiations. Jet Air would have the north 2/3 of
Building D. It would become part of Jet Air's lease and the IOW Aero lease would be
terminated. Airport operations would be in the south 1/3 of the building. The Civil Air
Patrol and perhaps another group would share the office vacated in Building G. There is
some renovation to be done to the office and shop part of Building D. O'Neil said he has
discussed this with the City Manager and received approval for finding. Jet Air would store
their fuel trucks in the equipment storage area in Building H,which is currently used by
Airport maintenance.
O'Neil said unless the lease is changed,the project will need to be put on hold or abandoned.
Thrower asked if there would be a negative impact on revenue? O'Neil said this is an
exchange of space and the rents will not change at this time. O'Neil said he needs heated
space for the Airport's snow removal equipment. O'Neil said he has told the Civil Air Patrol
that they would be responsible for their own utilities in Building G.
Ellis asked if there is anything in the lease for Building H that would prevent the exchange of
space? O'Neil said that the truck bay in Building H is not part of the Gordon Aircraft lease.
Tom Schnell,who subleases space from Gordon Aircraft,said he would be interested in the
truck bay in the future if his aircraft simulator needed room to expand. He said shop space
for the simulator would be needed.
O'Neil said that if they do not exchange space with Jet Air,they would not be able to lease
the space Schnell anyway because there is not other heated space for the Airport's
equipment. Gordon has expressed interest in adding on to Building H at some time.
Timmons said there might be some space available on the second floor of Building F. Ellis
said he thought the exchange of space should take place. The Airport equipment would all
be in one place and the Airport Manager would be more assessable on the airfield. It would
be better for Jet Air and safer for the fuel trucks.
Robnett made a motion for a resolution to add an amendment to the Jet Air lease and to
terminate the lease with IOW Aero for Building D. Mascari seconded the motion. At roll
call vote,the motion passed 3—2,with Ellis and Thrower voting no.
b. Aviation Commerce Park(ACP)—O'Neil said Iowa Realty's monthly report was in the
packet. There were no new offers to report on. Overton would be at the next Commission
meeting to report to the Commission. O'Neil stated that he had checked the minutes from
previous meetings and the Commission had not directed Dulek to try to collect rent owed by
Nichols. The Commission directed Dulek to file a lawsuit to try to collect the past rent.
c. Hagen property—O'Neil said there is interest from two different parties to buy or lease this
property. O'Neil said it was part of a lot purchased when land was being purchased for the
Runway Protection Zone for Runway 07. The consensus of the Commission was that they
would wait until an actual offer was made to discuss either sale or lease of the property.
d. Obstruction mitigation project-O'Neil said letters had been sent to the property owners of
the obstructions and personal follow-ups would be made to the owners. Kerry Fitzpatrick,
from Stanley Engineering,would be making the contacts. Ellis stated he introduced
Fitzpatrick and Mike Donnelly at the Council meeting last Tuesday.
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e. Environmental Assessment project—O'Neil said that all of the reports had been forwarded
to the FAA in Kansas City and H.R. Green was waiting for a reply. The information needed
to meet the FAA FY 2003 funding deadline has been sent to Kansas City.
f. Strategic planning—subcommittee—The contract with Aviation Business Solutions has
been signed. O'Neil said he has sent the Notice to Proceed and a deadline of July 7 for the
initial draft to be completed. Robnett said the Commission would need to provide a list of
names to ABS on whom to contact for the initial informational meeting. O'Neil said he
contacted Mike Hodges and Hodges thought they would try to schedule a meeting in Iowa
City during the week of April 14'11. Hodges said he would contact O'Neil when his schedule
was set.
g. Hangar#31 ! leases—O'Neil reviewed some changes the tenants of hangars#31 and
#33 had requested.Ellis said he would like to keep all of the leases the same and that if the
tenants wanted to make any changes,they should be submitted as a written addendum. The
Commission would decide on whether or not to include them in the lease. If the addendum
was added,the changes would be reviewed and could be included in the lease when it was
renewed,as long as the language was the same in all the leases.
h. MOT funding- O'Neil said he put this on the agenda with a hope that the State would fund
some AIP projects. The State did not fund any AIP projects. O'Neil circulated a list of what
is eligible for State or Federal funding. Mascari asked about funding for snow removal
equipment? O'Neil said that only commercial service airports were eligible for fire trucks
and snow removal equipment. O'Neil said there may be funding for the Vertical
Infrastructure Program.
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT:
Ellis said he had talked to the Mayor about some issues at the Airport. Ellis said that when there
is information to go to the Council, it should come from the Commission or the chairperson.
When there is information to go to the City Manager,it should go through the Airport Manager.
He said that should be the normal connection. He said everything should be in writing.
Ellis said he would like to include an item on the next agenda to discuss how the agenda is
developed. He would like to have a written report and staff recommendation on any item that
needed action. He said this would reduce the amount of discussion time.
Ellis said he was at the City Council meeting on Tuesday to give the Council a quick update of
what was going on at the Airport.He said O'Neil was there and two people from Stanley
Engineering were introduced to Council. He also publicly thanked Mark Anderson for his six
years of service on the Airport Commission.
COMMISSION MEMBERS'REPORTS:
Mascari said he wanted to express his personal disappointment about the situation at Meigs Field
in Chicago.
Mascari asked why the cable TV has only come to one meeting? O'Neil said they will record a
meeting upon request,but if it were on a regular basis,the Commission would need to pay for the
production. If there was something in particular that the Commission wanted to have broadcast,
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they should request it. Thrower asked if there was anything in the budget for filming the
meetings? O'Neil said there was not.
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT:
O'Neil said there was a memo in the packet,describing how to file a NOTAM. O'Neil said that
if the Commission could not contact him or the maintenance person and there is a need to file a
NOTAM,their names are on file with FSS. He gave the Commission instructions on how to file
a NOTAM.
O'Neil said there is a trend in the industry to hire an engineering firm for a given period of time
to implement Master Plan projects. There are advantages and disadvantages to doing this. It
saves a lot of time advertising and interviewing for each project. On the other hand,there may be
a better match for a project,depending on the project.
O'Neil said he had a request for long-term storage in the old United hangar. It was a non-aviation
use. The Commission was not interested in discussing this at the next meeting.
At the last meeting,Mascari had inquired about applying for a precision approach. O'Neil
contacted the DOT and their reply was included in the Commission packet.
For their information, O'Neil provided the Commission with a copy of the form used by
developers to file for an airspace study.
O'Neil sent a letter to the FAA,requesting a temporary tower for the fly-in on August 24.
Ellis asked O'Neil about the Central Region FAA Conference? O'Neil said it is the first week in
June. He had included information about the conference in the Commission's March info packet.
Thrower commented on a communication policy. He said there is a memo in the packet from
Dulek concerning e-mails. Thrower said he would like to discuss this as an agenda item. Ellis
said that ABS is going to help write policy documents for the Commission. Thrower asked if that
was in the Scope of Services for ABS? Ellis said it was. Thrower said he would wait until the
policy was written to discuss it as an agenda item.
SET NEXT MEETING:
The next regular Airport Commission meeting is scheduled for May 8,2003,at 5:45 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 8:21 p.m.
4I01_ g\Alan lis,Chairperson
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