ASHLAND AIRPORT COMMISSION
December 2, 2014
 
MINUTES
 
 
 
 
Members Present: Bob Skinner, David Wolske, Alan DeBoer, Elizabeth Tripp, Bill Skillman, Burl Brim, William Butler,  Susan Moen, Nicole Doran and Michael Morris
Staff: Scott Fleury
Members Absent: Lincoln Zeve
Visitors: None
 
CALL TO ORDER: 9:32AM
 
1.APPROVAL OF MINUTES: November 4, 2014 motion by Skillman for approval, second by DeBoer minutes approved as written.  
 
2.Agenda Item Addition: None
 
3.Public Forum: No public discussion.
 
4.OLD BUSINESS:
 
A.FBO Lease: Staff informs Commission the meeting with legal occurred and edits have been developed in response to Skinners issues and comments. Staff needs to resolve all edits into one document and discuss with Skinner. Staff expects to make updates and meet with Skinner prior to next meeting.
 
B.AIP Project: Staff informs Commission that a punchlist/closeout meeting will be held onsite tomorrow afternoon with the contractor, engineer, staff and the FBO. All major work items are complete to date. There are a couple items that need to be resolved including the installation of a catch basin at the corner of the new taxilane extension. Right now there is an open pipe that collects storm water from the area that Brim grading for parking. Staff will work with the engineer and contractor to install a new storm drain basin. Another issue that needs to be resolved is if extra contract days for weather should be granted and if liquidated damages should be assessed to Knife River for going past the allowed contract time.
 
C.Airport Zoning: Staff updates Commission on status of zoning changes. Planning staff are working on the language changes to the code and there should be a draft document ready for Commission review in January. Once the code changes are approved by staff and the Commission they will be presented before the Planning Commission and then City Council for approval. Staff is also working on the master plan process and needs to speak with the FAA about the final budget amount they believe will be required. Staff believes the master plan will only need a minor update which could cost in the ballpark of $150k, but if the FAA requires a full update then the price could escalate to $300k and take over a year to complete. The master plan update will work together with the code changes to create a specific site review document for appropriate development on site.
 
D.Self Fueling Permit: Staff informs Commission that no feedback has been received from Merrill Airport regarding their self fueling regulations. In addition Brim has not provided what he believes appropriate edits. The main issue is creating a fair environment for operating on the field between all users. Commission and City does not want to create rules that are more stringent on some while looser on others. Once edits are provided they will be reviewed by Commission and the Legal Department before being finalized.
 
E.Enclosure of Hangars: Staff informs Commission that he was contacted by the engineer that is working with American Industrial Door on the hangar enclosure design. Staff has not had time to work with the engineer on contractual requirements for development of the required design. Staff expects to move the project along early in the new year. Once the engineering is complete staff will have the Building Department review the plans and make sure they comply with all building code requirements. Commission will still need to create a process that allows for renters to use the plans and enclose the old T-hangars. A rate freeze/reduction will need to be developed as part of this process. Commission to discuss as a future agenda item.
 
5.NEW BUSINESS:
 
A.Airport Good Neighbor Items: Commission discusses email sent by Linda Lewis regarding the self fueling permit discussion and various other items. Brim recuses himself from discussion as part of the topic concerns his fueling operations. Linda made reference to the self fueling permit development and how Brim should not be able to advise edits and reference to reviewing what Merrill airport has in place for self fueling. Butler states that Merrill is not a rural airport as specified by Lewis, but in the middle of almost 300 thousand people in the largest city in Alaska. Commission believes the checks and balances in place regarding the self fueling permit will produce a viable end product that will protect the airport, its users and operators. The permit edits will still need to be reviewed by the Commission and then reviewed and approved by the City’s Legal Department. The Commission believes no other items in the email are relevant to airport specific operations and require no more discussion.
 
B.Election of Officers-updated policy: Staff informs Commission that typically the election of a new chair and vice chair would occur in December to start in January, but the code was recently updated and the election will now occur in March of 2015 for new officers to start in April.
 
C.Airport Improvement Plan-Future: Staff updates Commission on recent conference call with FAA regarding the current five year airport improvement plan. The current AIP calls for the master plan update in 2015 and then multiple years of non-primary entitlement carryover. There is a current rule in place that requires the sponsor to show $750k worth of AIP projects in the plan in order to receive the full funds. If $750k is not shown in the plan the sponsor only receives a fraction of the total non-primary funds. Staff asks Commission about priorities for future projects. Staff believes that the parallel taxiway will require some rehabilitation by 2018 as it has deteriorate over the past few years, specifically with the wear created by the runway work that occurred a couple years prior. Commission agrees that the taxiway should be made a future priority. Staff to work with FAA to update AIP with the taxiway rehabilitation.
 
6.AIRPORT MANAGER REPORT/FBO REPORT/AIRPORT ASSOCIATION:
 
A.Status of Airport, Financial Report, Review of Safety Reports: Staff informs Commission the Fire Department trailer was slated to be moved, but there was issues with the pickup as there was not enough room due to vehicles being parked in the area. The pickup has been rescheduled to December 6. Skinner states the hangar shuffling is complete and all hangars are currently rented.
 
B.Maintenance Updates: Commission asks Brim to relocate the trash dumpster away from Taxilane. There was also a pile of debris left near the end of DeBoer's hangars from the PMP program that needs to be removed.  
 
C.Brown Bag: Cancelled. Commission reiterates that if Wolske or Moen cannot attend meeting that invitation be sent to rest of Commission so that a representative can always attend.  
 
D.Transportation Commission: No update.  
 
E.Medford Airport: No update.
 
F.Action Item List: Calendar updated for 2015.
 
G.Airport Day/Marketing: No update. Commission to discuss subcommittee group for airport day planning starting in January 2015.
 
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:  January 6, beginning at 9:30 AM
 
ADJOURN:  Meeting adjourned at 10:54 AM