ASHLAND AIRPORT COMMISSION
May 7, 2013
MINUTES
Members Present: David Wolske, Nicole Doran, Jeff Nielsen, Susan Moen, Lincoln Zeve, Elizabeth Tripp, Richard Hendrickson, William Skillman, and Alan DeBoer
Staff: Scott Fleury & Brenda Barker
Members Absent: Bob Skinner, Greg Lemhouse
Visitors: Michelle Scarlatta
CALL TO ORDER: 9:32 AM
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APPROVAL OF MINUTES: April 9, 2013, motion by Skillman for approval, second by Hendrickson, minutes approved after revision to show Alan DeBoer present at meeting.
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Public Forum: No public discussion.
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OLD BUSINESS:
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FBR RFP/Lease: Staff informs the Commission the RFP is out for Public Response. The RFP’s are due by May 30th at 1:30 pm. Staff expects to grade the responses and select the winning proper within two weeks of the opening date. After the winning proposer has been selected the final lease document will go before the City Council for approval.
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AIP Projects: Staff informs Commission there has been no change with regards to the AIP project since the last meeting. Staff still needs to contact the FAA and ask for a grant assurance letter with regards to the taxilane and fencing project in order for the City to procure engineering services before the grant has been awarded. Staff will contact and discuss with the FAA. Once staff receives the grant assurance letter, an RFP will be created and issued for the engineering work.
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Airport Budget: Staff informs Commission the budget add packages for the maintenance hangar door and T-hangar enclosure projects that were approved by the City Administrator at a recent budget meeting and is going before the Budget Committee at the May 16th meeting for discussion before final approval by the Council in June. If the add packages receive final approval the monies will become available July 1, 2013. Staff would like to have the projects ready to go as soon as possible when the new monies become available. The 20k for the maintenance hangar door will be appropriated from the existing 99k in unappropriated funds within the airport budget. The 45k for the enclosure project will be borrowed from the equipment fund and paid back over a five year period.
5. NEW BUSINESS:
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Airport: Good Neighbor Items: Staff informs Commission that a resident came into the Community Development Office to discuss helicopter operations on April 25, 2013. They stated a helicopter was flying back and forth around the airport at a fairly low altitude. Staff informed resident to contact Skinner Aviation directly to discuss the helicopter operations and Skinner could work directly with the operator regarding onsite flying. Hendrickson stated he has seen numerous helicopters following the approved approach and departure pattern recently. No other good neighbor items discussed.
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Election of Officers: Staff informs Commission that the new municipal code that governs Commissions has been approved by the City Council. The election of new officer should take place at the first meeting of each new year based on the code section and not as per the Commissions recommendation of elections occurring at the budget year break. Commission discusses continuity for the chair and vice chair positions and that the elections should take place per the code.
Motion by DeBoer to continue with Wolske as chair and Neilsen as vice-chair and follow the code with regards to future elections, 2nd by Skillman, unanimously approved.
Elections of new officers to take place at December meeting in order for new chair/vice chair to become effective in January.
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AIRPORT MANAGER REPORT/FBO REPORT/AIRPORT ASSOCIATION:
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Status of Airport, Financial Report, Review of Safety Reports: Skinner not at meeting to provide update.
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Maintenance Updates: Staff informs Commission that the Street Department will be onsite most Fridays with the grader to grade the dirt section adjacent to Sky Research and remove any large rocks that were deposited their during the runway rehabilitation project. They started the project the previous Friday. Scarlatta from Brim Aviation stated that Burl has some concerns over grading that area and pulling up sections of sod/weeds right now as they fly over this area and without the existing ground cover, helicopters will kick up a tremendous amount of dust and debris until the vegetation grows back. Staff to contact Brim directly and discuss grading operations and maintenance of area. Scarlatta also mentions that Brim would be agreeable to maintain that area adjacent to both his and Sky’s hangars and would like to know if their can be a financial component to any agreement made regarding maintenance. Staff states the Parks Department mows and maintains the airport currently. Staff to research current agreement with Parks Department regarding maintenance and mowing activities and bring back for future discussion on the subject. Staff still needs to create a repair estimate for the prop strike that occurred on the runway. There are two gouges in the runway that need repairing. Staff will visit the site and determine appropriate repair measure along with estimate and send information to Risk Management. Risk Management will work with Skinner and pilot with regards to insurance claim. Commission mentions the Century Link work along Dead Indian Complete and asks staff to inspect the final conditions and determine if anymore cleanup work is necessary. Staff informs Commission the PAPI survey done as part of the runway rehabilitation AIP project is in the packet and it shows the trees at the runway 12 end do not encroach into the approach slope. Staff also determined the trees are on City property and can be removed in a future trimming project if they grow into approach slope.
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Brown Bag: Moen has no significant update from the previous meeting.
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Transportation Commission: Add transportation connection to airport as future agenda item and to action item list.
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Medford Airport Update: No update
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Action Item List: Updated to include transportation connection, phone booth cleanup and runway x closure sign removal.
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Airport Day/Marketing: Hendrickson states that a fly in to the airport will occur on July 17th. The fly in will be from the Puget Sound Antique Aircraft Club. The antique club is flying in for one day with approximately 30 planes. The club will need ground transportation from the airport to their hotel and back again. Commission agrees this represents an opportunity to reactivate the users group to assist with transportation needs and to market the visit to the public. In addition, the Airport Commission would like to publicize this event as it could possibly be a “mini airport day". Staff can place an information item on the City section of the airport website regarding the fly in. Commission discusses the possibility of a representative going before the City Council at the July 16, 2013 meeting to provide a status update of the airport and also present an information blurb about the fly in. Hendrickson to get exact times of antiques club trip in order to generate a press release. Commission discusses safety precautions necessary for events at the airport including marshaling people safely around the airport to view aircraft. Numerous resources are available including the Civil Air Patrol, boy scouts and users group volunteers to keep visitors safe for any event onsite. DeBoer mentions the possibility of purchasing a red bird flight simulator and having it at the airport to be specifically used by the airport users group and as part of airport sanctioned events. DeBoer also states that Skinner was receptive to the idea of creating a specific checking account for the user’s group funds to be used as they see fit. As part of airport outreach and marketing the Commission would also like to form a cooperative bond with schools and science works. The flight simulator could be used as an instructional piece for any school children or as part of a science works exhibit. Commission discusses the appropriate amount of dues for the airport users group. Commission believes the dues should be tiered starting at $50 per year with a supplemental $50 donation.
OTHER:
The meeting of the JC airport commission is the third Monday of the month at 12:00 PM.
NEXT MEETING DATE: June 4, 2013 beginning at 9:30 AM
ADJOURN: Meeting adjourned at 10:40 AM
