Back to Homepage

Learn about the City's plan to construct and move the water treatment plant - Clean drinking water is an essential right

Agendas and Minutes

Airport Committee (View All)

Airport Commission Regular Meeting Minutes 6-5-2012

Agenda
Tuesday, June 05, 2012

ASHLAND AIRPORT COMMISSION
June 5^th, 2012

MINUTES

MEMBERS PRESENT: DAVID WOLSKE, SUSAN MOEN, BOB SKINNER, RICHARD HENDRICKSON, ELIZABETH TRIPP, LINCOLN ZEVE, NICOLE DORAN, JEFF NIELSEN, WILLIAM SKILLMAN, ALAN DEBOER
STAFF: SCOTT FLEURY
MEMBERS ABSENT: DENNIS SLATTERY
Visitors: NONE

CALL TO ORDER: 9:30 AM

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: May 8^th, 2012, motion by Skillman for approval, second by Hendrickson, Nielsen abstains, minutes approved as written.

Additional Items: None

Public Forum: None

OLD BUSINESS:

AIP Project Engineering Design/Connect III: Staff reports that the project closeout documentation has been approved by the FAA and that Reid Middleton will be generating the as-built mylar drawings for the City. The City and Reid Middleton recently had an onsite meeting to discuss the project in whole. When it was all said and done, city staff believed the overall engineering and construction of the project went well. There were a few hiccups along the way and issues that came up, but they were resolved without much issue.
Zoning Ordinance-Legislative Amendment: Staff informs Commission that the Planning Department will be taking the master plan before the Planning Commission to have them approve its adoption into the comprehensive plan. In addition, the Planning Department is currently undergoing a comprehensive land use code update in order to simplify the existing code for users. This represents a good time for the airport overlay code to be adjusted to allow for airport appropriate development. Engineering staff will work with planning staff to have code updated through the process. The time frame to have all work complete is spring of 2013.
Power Pole Storage: Staff explains that the Electric Department is now going through the planning process with regards to development of the approved area as a power pole storage site. Staff contacted the FAA about leasing out the area for a non-aviation related use. The FAA stated that as long as the base lease term was for no longer than five years and/or there was an opt out for the City if the area was needed for aviation development the FAA would have no issues with the lease. Staff will update the Commission as the status changes. Zeve would like to see more of the airport area offered to City Departments for storage if it does not interfere with airport operations. Staff to contact other departments regarding onsite storage.
Tree Trimming: Staff informs Commission into research regarding grants to pay for the fall tree trimming project for the runway 30 end approach slope. The previous trimming project was funded through an ODA FAM grant and they are no longer available. In addition, ODA has no other grant opportunities to assist the City. Staff also contacted the FAA about using some non-primary entitlement monies to fund the project. The FAA considers this a maintenance activity and does not fund it. Staff then spoke with the Finance Department and there is enough money within the airport budget to fund the project, if staff is careful with how the rest of the funds are spent if FY13. Staff to now budget a certain amount into the grounds keeping line item each year to account for tree trimming. Commission discusses comments from ODA inspection report regarding trees that are encroaching into the FAR 77 defined slopes. As previously surveyed there are about a dozen trees on the 30 end that are encroaching into the 20:1 slope and there are two trees at the 12 end that are also encroaching. Staff informs Commission that a couple of the trees on the 30 end are on private property with no easement for the City to access and top. Commission would like to contact the property owner again to discuss an easement to top the trees. If the owner does not approve of an easement the Commission would like to know there legal options to gain access. Staff to provide information on property owner to Commission and determine next steps. Staff states that the two trees on the 12 end can be cut down quickly with the assistance of a local tree trimmer. Motion by Hendrickson, remove the two 25’ trees at the 12 end as soon as possible, 2^nd by Skillman, all approved. Skinner would like to see a map of the area developed in order to get a visual handle on the issue. Staff to work with the GIS Department and have them develop a map with aerial photo that depicts the approach slope zone on the 30 end and how it overlays onto the adjacent tax lots. As discussed at last month’s meeting a site survey will be performed every other year in the spring, which would allow a fall tree topping if trees are found to encroach into the approach slope.

NEW BUSINESS:

Good Neighbor Policy: DeBoer informs Commission of phone conversation he had with Brim, who is exploring the option of moving his operation to Medford and selling the lease rights to the current hangar. Staff will also send out letter to Brim Aviation regarding request to use airport approach and departure procedures to minimize impact to surrounding properties. Skinner reports that he has spoken to the Vogets regarding Brim Aviation taking off from their existing hangar and flying at a low altitude near their house as they leave the airport. This issue is what has prompted the second request from the City and Commission to Brim Aviation regarding proper approach and departure procedures. No other issues reported.
FBO RFP/Lease: Skinner and Tripp leave meeting as to not be privy to any information discussed with regards to the FBO RFP. Staff asks Commission members if they have any comments towards draft version. Wolske had previously supplied staff with comments and they will be incorporated accordingly. Staff would like to receive additional comments before the next meeting if at all possible. In addition staff is waiting for Legal to finish drafting the FBO lease that will be used as a template within the RFP. Staff and the lease subcommittee need to meet one more time to review the lease prior to a full commission meeting. Staff would like to see this done as soon as possible, but it is dependent on the amount of time legal has to perform the final edits.
CAP Lease: Nielsen informs Commission that he along with business partner Mark Freeborn have purchased the CAP hangar after Brim Aviation pulled out of the process. Nielsen and Freeborn were the second highest bidder in the sealed bid auction held by the CAP. The transaction has been completed and the City is working on the long term ground lease. Nielsen and Freeborn are interested in creating an access to the backside of the hangar and would like to know the procedure for doing so. DeBoer states his opinion is an asphalt taxiway with retaining wall to the back of the hangar would be acceptable if approved by the City and allowed legally by the FAA. Nielsen also informs Commission that they would like to alter or address some verbiage in the lease document regarding transfer of ownership. The lease states that the City will have first right of refusal with regards to sales or transfers of the hangars between all parties except for family members who have been willed the property. Since Nielsen and Freeborn are partners they would like the City to waive that first right with regards to a transfer of ownership from one partner to another at any point during the lease. Motion by DeBoer, original partners do not fall under first right of refusal status of lease document and the ability to transfer ownership be similar to that of family members, 2^nd by Hendrickson, all approved. Nielsen and Freeborn also intend to rent space within the hangar to transient aircraft and are interested in how a SASO would apply to them. Staff states that the minimum standards that reference hangar keepers do not reference a specific amount of aircraft or rental space; just in general a hangar keeper is someone who rents hangar space.
SuperAwos: The Commission reviews the letter from the FAA regarding the decertification of the SuperAwos. Skinner states that the SuperAwos operates on the existing 122.8 frequency not a discrete frequency and the letter does not affect how the SuperAwos is currently used in Ashland, the SuperAwos will not be published in FAA circles as an approved weather station.
Attendance Policy: Staff reviews the ordinance regarding attendance at Commission meetings. The ordinance states that Commission members are required to attend up to 2/3 of all yearly meetings and having 2 unexcused absences in a six month period can be removed from the Commission by the Mayor. An attendance report must be reviewed by the Commission at the January and July meetings and then sent to the Mayor for review. Staff states that a spreadsheet is being developed to track attendance for the twice yearly review and that the Chair can make the decision on whether an absence is excused or unexcused. Next month Commission to review attendance report. Wolske would like to see Commissioners who miss a meeting get caught up with the minutes prior to the next meeting so time is not lost bringing them up to speed on the current issues. Commission also believes that Council Liaison attendance is important as well and can help relay information to the Council if questions arise during regular Council meetings.
July Meeting Date: Staff states the next meeting date is scheduled for July 3^rd and asks commission if attendance at that meeting will be a concern? Commission members believe that a quorum will not be an issue for the prescribed meeting date.

AIRPORT MANAGER REPORT/FBO REPORT/AIRPORT ASSOCIATION:

Status of Airport, Financial Report, Review of Safety Reports: Skinner states that activity is picking up with the weather. Skinner is also trying to finalize the deal with a new fuel supplier. Skinner also states that parking in the public park lot is an issue that needs to be addressed. Users sometimes park in the lot for months at a time and this takes up space during the busy times for daily users. Skinner would like to see a parking policy developed that would allow for vehicles to be towed if they stay to long without checking in with the FBO. It could be possible to have long term vehicles parked elsewhere on the airport to allow space for daily users. Staff to investigate parking prohibitions and discuss with Commission at the next meeting.

Maintenance Updates: Skillman states that the tree near the FBO office is blocking the beacon light again and needs to be trimmed. Staff to work on getting the two 25’ trees at the northwest end of runway 12 removed and the beacon tree removed as well.

Brown Bag: Moen states the only airport information provided was the Mayor has been put on the selection team for the Connect Oregon IV grants of which Sky Research is applying to build a hangar on site.