ASHLAND AIRPORT COMMISSION
May 6, 2014
 
MINUTES
 
 
 
 
Members Present: Bob Skinner, David Wolske, Richard Hendrickson, Susan Moen, Alan DeBoer, Mike Morris and Elizabeth Tripp
Staff: Scott Fleury,
Members Absent: Nicole Doran, Lincoln Zeve, Bill Skillman
Visitors: David Ridsdale
 
CALL TO ORDER: 9:31AM
 
1.APPROVAL OF MINUTES: March 4, 2014 motion by Hendrickson for approval, second by Moen, minutes approved as written.  
 
2.Agenda Item Addition: None
 
3.Public Forum: No public discussion.
 
4.OLD BUSINESS:
 
A.FBO Lease: Staff has received Skinners comments in writing and plans to create a master copy of edits to review again with Legal and Skinner before the lease is finalized. Staff expects to edit lease in May and return to Skinner to verify all issues are appropriately addressed. Staff needs to meet with Legal to discuss the living wage requirement and which employees of Skinners it applies to if any. Also, staff needs to discuss the pollution insurance requirement and if Skinners fuel supplier’s underwriter of $50,000,000 covers the onsite spill requirement.
 
B.AIP/Hangar Door: Staff informs Commission 90% plans and specifications have been developed by the consultant. Staff to have onsite meeting and go over plans/specs and review comments with Precision Approach Engineering shortly. Once FAA and staff approve of specs and plans the project will be advertised for bid. FAA would like to see the project bid opening in June in order to award a construction grant. Staff shows Commission grading plan sheet that shows taxilane layout.
 
C.Airport Zoning: Staff is still trying to setup a meeting with Severson to start project of updating code. Commission reiterates to Councilor Morris the importance of getting this done as if effects potential development onsite due to variances that must be obtained to build a hangar, in order to comply with the land use code.
 
D.Airport Policies: Staff asks for any additions or clarifications to policy document. Staff added pet and camping policy as requested previously. No other changes or modifications request.
 
5.NEW BUSINESS:
 
A.Commercial Hangar Tie Down Parking: David Ridsdale of JLC Avionics in attendance to discuss use of airport tie downs for business parking. Current operations occasionally require more parking than is available in or directly outside of the hangar. Ridsdale in the past has used tie down spaces on the ramp adjacent to Sky’s hangar. Ridsdale is looking for parking options when multiple customers are onsite for more than one day. Skinner stated he has previously spoken with JLC about this issue and mentions one option is to rent a tie down space on a monthly basis to use as needed. Another option is to amend the SASO lease and add a tie down without additional charges similar to Skinner’s agreement. Ridsdale believes that Sky’s (Sierra Romeo) has something similar in their lease that allows for tie down space on the ramp. JLC believes they bring in positive traffic to the airport through their business operations and do not believe a fee is warranted for the one tie down space on an as needed basis.
 
Motion be DeBoer: Amend SASO for Commercial Operators to include the equivalent of one free tie down per month (31 days) for customer airplanes only with parking location to be determined by FBO. 2^nd by Moen, all approved.
 
Staff asks if this should also be included in the policy document will SASO amendments occur? Commission agrees language regarding tie down parking should be included in policy document.
 
B.Airport Good Neighbor Items: Staff informs Commission of noise complaint from lower Clay St. regarding jet noise. Their main concern was this becoming more of a daily event and increasing in the years to come. Staff informed this individual that one operator owns a jet, but the airport runway length does not allow for larger jet aircraft landing and thus this operation should be limited in the future. Commission believes the jet noise would be reduced if they pilot maintains runway heading until the 3000 foot elevation is achieved. Skinner will mention this to operator. Skinner states a couple of complaints were received regarding helicopter operations during the past month. One was in respect to the early morning search and rescue operation in the watershed that recently occurred and the other was regarding training and check ride operations. Skinner states that many of the issues were developed from offsite operators working at the Airport.
 
C.Rate Policy Recommendation: Staff goes over rate sheet and points out the fees that can be recommended to Council for adjustment. The monthly rental fees and tie downs are up for discussion with respect to adjustment. The ground lease and SASO fees are automatically adjusted through the lease agreements. Staff states the CPI-U for January was 1.58%.
 
Motion by Moen: Accept CPI-U increase rounded down to the nearest dollar for monthly rental fees. 2^nd by Hendrickson.
Commission discusses shade hangars and how 1-2 are vacant currently and the hardest to rent. Moen amends motion to keep shade hangars at $180, Hendrickson accepts amendment.
DeBoer declares a potential conflict of interest as he rents hangars at the airport.
All approved.
 
 
6.AIRPORT MANAGER REPORT/FBO REPORT/AIRPORT ASSOCIATION:
 
A.Status of Airport, Financial Report, Review of Safety Reports: Skinner states the weeds are really taking over and they need to be sprayed. Staff states he will contact Street Department to develop an appropriate time to spray now that spring is in full force. Proper notice will be passed on to Commission and users of times and dates for spraying onsite. Once the weeds are sprayed all the cracks must be sealed by the Street crew as well. In addition staff will discuss onsite mowing with Streets as a precursor to fire season.
 
B.Maintenance Updates: Commission inquires into status of Fire Department training container. Staff states now that the most recent training has been completed they will work on relocating the container to Nevada St. within an electric storage yard. The owner of a truck parked in the public lot has been identified and Skinner has asked them to move it into long term parking.
 
C.Brown Bag: No update
 
D.Transportation Commission: No update.  
 
E.Medford Airport: No update.
 
F.Action Item List: Hangar door project and avigation easement removed.
 
G.Airport Day/Marketing: Hendrickson discusses Airport Day preparation with Commission. A pancake breakfast and BBQ lunch is scheduled. ODFW will have a truck onsite. Staff is working to see if the Ashland Fire Department can have a truck onsite as well. Brim will provide helicopter rides and the antique biplane will also provide rides. There will be an announcer onsite and the Civil Air Patrol will provide marshalling services during the day. Staff has is getting the banner updated, has porta potty's reserved and is working on obtaining tables and chairs for the event in addition to obtaining cones the CAP can use for traffic and pedestrian control.  Commission would like to see area mowed as well and maybe the sweeper to make a pass through to tidy the site up. Staff will also try and arrange these items.
                       
Hendrickson also states the Chamber will hold their board meeting onsite this coming                 Friday in his hangar in order to talk about airport day and airport marketing in general
                       
Hendrickson will need additional volunteers to help with the event as he has previously                     asked for through email and direct contact. Staff and Hendrickson are scheduled to give a               brief presentation before the City Council tonight on airport day festivities.
 
H.Airport Users Group: No update.
 
OTHER:
The meeting of the JC airport commission is the third Monday of the month at 12:00 PM.
  
NEXT MEETING DATE:  June 3, beginning at 9:30 AM
 
ADJOURN:  Meeting adjourned at 11:13AM