Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-14-1995 Airport Commission Meeting Minutes MINUTES IOWA CITY AIRPORT COMMISSION THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 1995 - 5:45 P.M. IOWA CITY TRANSIT FACILITY MEMBERS PRESENT: Pat Foster, Howard Horan, Rick Mascari, Dick Blum STAFF PRESENT: Anne Burnside, Jeff Davidson, Ron O'Neil CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Horan called the meeting to order at 5:48 p.m. A quorum of the Commission was present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the August 10, 1995, meeting were approved as submitted. AUTHORIZATION OF EXPENDITURES: Mascari commented that there were several bills from an overhead door company. O'Neil said those were from the corporate hangar and shop leased by Iowa City Flying Service. He said there would be a substantial bill next month from AAA Mechanical. Last spring, someone managed to get into the locked boiler room and turn the boiler up to 240 degrees. This is probably what cracked the heat exchanger on the boiler and ruined the pump motor. The repairs will be around $ 2000. Blum made a motion to approve the bills. Mascari seconded the motion and it was approved 5 - 0. PUBLIC DISCUSSION - ITEMS NOT ON AGENDA: Jeff Davidson presented information concerning the trails system proposed for the Iowa River corridor. Davidson said he is a member of the Master Plan Resource Group and at a meeting last week, there were some concerns expressed about the bicycle trails. One of the trails is proposed to go through the Runway Obstacle Free Area for Runway 24 . Davidson said he does not perceive there to be any problem. It is not a trail vs. Airport issue. Nothing will be done that could jeopardize FAA funding for the Airport. Davidson presented a lay out plan for the trails and a time frame for implementation for various sections. He said the City Council has indicated the trails are a priority item. Jerry Searle, from McClure Engineering, said he has asked the FAA about their opinion of having a trail through the Runway 24 Runway Protection Zone. If the proposed Airport Layout Plan is adopted, there will not be a problem. The runway end will be displaced and the area in question will no longer be in the Obstacle Free Area. Davidson said there is also an interest in a Willow Creek Trail. He asked that this be kept in mind as the plan for the area on the west side of the Airport is being developed. PUBLIC HEARING - UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE: Horan opened the public hearing at 6: 10 p.m. O'Neil said the information discussed by the Commission at the last meeting was incorporated into a lease form provided by the USAR. O'Neil said the Commission would need to decide specific terms. The Commission agreed that the lease should be for three years, with an option for an additional three years. This would be consistent with the land lease with the National Guard. Blum said that at some point in time, the Commission should get appraisals to determine what is fair market value for leased property. This will be needed if Public Works wants to move to the Airport or the commercial property at the north end of the Airport is developed. The hearing was closed at 6:23 p.m. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION/ACTION: a. Master Plan Study - Jerry Searle presented information on the Master Plan Study. He explained the concept plan that has been developed. It included not only options for meeting FAA airport design standards, but also provided a concept for off site land uses that would compliment the development of the Airport. As part of the study, a pavement condition survey was conducted. Runway 17/35 was in the worst condition, probably requiring reconstruction within 5 to 10 years. If the FAA will only participate in supporting two runways, reconstruction would have to be with State and/or local funding. In meeting with the FAA last Tuesday, Searle said he was told by Jan Monroe, the airports ' planning supervisor, that the first thing Iowa City must do is make a commitment to remove the obstructions affecting the Airport. Part of the Master Plan Study is to identify those obstructions. Searle said the FAA seemed to like the land use concept, including developing some of the Airport's property for commercial and industrial use. Searle said he has met with many of the landowners of the off site areas. Though there were a few minor changes requested, no one objected to the general concept of the plan. O'Neil said the land owners appreciated being invited to comment on the plan early in the process. He emphasized to the land owners that the decision to develop their property was entirely up to them. What the Commission needed was a commitment that the land would not be developed in conflict with the plans proposed for the Airport. Searle said if the Commission approved the preliminary plan, the information would be presented to City staff on September 15, the Board of Supervisors on September 19 and to the City Council on September 25. He would like to see some consensus agreement between the Council and the Supervisors within the next four to six weeks. The Commission indicated approval of the plan. Mascari asked about the possibility of extending RW 24 to the east. Searle said it could be designed and built, but the cost/benefit ratio would show it would not be feasible. Blum said the costs of the easements and fee simple purchases could be quite high, based on some earlier appraisals. Searle said the FAA likes the idea of developing the area as an air industrial park. It could bring money and jobs into the community and could help the Airport towards it's goal of self sufficiency. O'Neil said the next update will be at the October 12th Commission meeting, and the next opportunity for the public to comment will be at a public meeting on October 19. ( At this point in the meeting, two members of the Sertoma Club were introduced. They said they wanted to thank the Commission and the Airport Manager for their help and the opportunity to hold their annual fund raising breakfast at the Airport. They hoped the tradition would continue. ) b. Iowa National Guard lease - Blum made a motion for a resolution for a three year lease with the Iowa National Guard for approximately one half acre of land to be used for vehicle storage. Foster seconded the motion and at roll call vote, the motion passed 4 - 0, with Hicks being absent. c. Public Works site - O'Neil said there is renewed interest in moving the Public Works facility from it' s present site. One option is to move to Airport property south of the Army Reserve Center. If the preliminary plan presented by McClure is adopted, this area could be the entrance to some commercial or industrial property. Horan said as long as Public Works is willing to pay fair market value on a long term lease, he thinks they should encourage Public Works to proceed with their plan. Blum said if the south area is to become an entrance to a larger development, the value may be more than the City is willing to pay to have it as a Public Works site. Burnside said she thought the City would like to move as soon as possible and market the property on the corner of Highway 6 and Riverside Drive. O'Neil asked the Commission for a consensus on what they wanted to do. The Commission agreed to work with Public Works to find a place on the Airport, but stated that the site south of the Reserve Center might not be the best area. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT: Horan said he wanted to thank Sertoma for all the work they did to make the fly in breakfast a success. COMMISSION MEMBERS' REPORTS: Mascari said he has walked through the Airport Terminal with a contractor. Depending on how much money is spent, he thinks the building could be made much more attractive. He will try to get some budget numbers together for the Commission. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: O'Neil said the Master Plan Resource Group met on September 7 . There was good participation and Jerry Searle did an excellent job explaining the conceptual plan he has developed. O'Neil is getting estimates for landscaping for the west side of the Airport Terminal. This will finish this phase of renovating the exterior of the building. There will be additional landscaping to be budgeted for and completed next year. There are several upcoming issues to be addressed by the Commission. O'Neil presented a list of the issues and a time frame. There are several leases to be reviewed and negotiated in the next six months. The FY 97 budget process will begin next month. This will be an agenda item in October. Mascari will work with O'Neil to develop a preliminary budget to be reviewed at the meeting. O'Neil said the Commission needs to focus on implementing the ADA requirements for the Airport Terminal. A list of required changes has been generated. SEATS is interested in leasing the United Hangar office space. Mascari, Burnside, and O'Neil are working on this project. A public hearing will be held on this lease at the October meeting. O'Neil said there are some trees at the end of some of the runways that will have to be trimmed or removed. They are not on Airport property. One tree is about 37 ' too high. Horan asked why this tree was allowed to grow to such an obstruction height. O'Neil said it was only at the most recent IDOT inspection in June that the trees were identified as needing to be removed. O'Neil will work with the City Forester to have the trees trimmed or removed. There is still a strong interest by some businesses to locate their corporate aircraft here if hangar space was available. O'Neil said he will try to put together some budget information. The Commission will then need to go to the City Council to discuss funding. The hangar building built this summer is full and there is a waiting list for the hangars. O'Neil met with other City staff to discuss Sturgis Ferry Park. The City Manager and Council have an interest in cleaning the area up and making it look more like a park. Horan, Mascari and Foster will attend the Central Region AIP Conference in Kansas City on October 4 . SET NEXT MEETING: The next regular meeting was scheduled for October 12 , 1995, at 5: 45 p.m. ADJOURNMENT: Blum moved to adjourn the meeting. Mascari seconded the motion and the meeting adjourned at 7 : 52 p.m. Howard Horan, Chairperson