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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Aviation Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 9/11/2013 MINUTES AVIATION ADVISORY COMMISSION GLENDALE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 6801 N. GLEN HARBOR BLVD- SUITE 201 GLENDALE,ARIZONA 85307 AIRPORT CONFERENCE ROOM SEPTEMBER 11, 2013 7:00 P.M. I. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Commissioner Terrill with the following Commissioners present: Walt Chaney, Victoria Rogen, Michael Hernandez and Robert Irons. Also present were Walter Fix, Airport Administrator; Basil Allen, Glendale Airport Tower; Bill Gillies, Luke Air Force Base; Lt. Col. Engelson, Luke Air.Force Base II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING Commissioner Rogen motioned to approve the August 14, 2013 meeting minutes with the following corrections: • Page 2, first paragraph, second bullet point: change "...Airframe and Power Plant..." to "...FAA Airframe and Power Plant..." • All instances of"AF and PP" should be changed to "A/P" • Page 2, first paragraph, fifth bullet point: change "...offered at the avionics campus." to "...offered at the Central campus." • Page 2, second paragraph: change "Mr. Donovan gave discussed the following:" to "Mr. Donovan added the following information:" • Page 3, at the top of the page: change "...$65 to $1,200, but there..." to "...$65 to $1,200, and that there..." Commissioner Irons made the second. The motion carried 4 — 0. [Commissioner Hernandez was not yet present.] III. REQUEST FOR CONTINUANCE OR WITHDRAWAL OF ITEMS. None. IV. AIRPORT BUSINESS The following business was discussed: 1. F-35 Update from Luke Air Force Base (LAFB) Lt. Col. Engelson gave a presentation on the F-35 program, which included the following information: 1 • The Record of Decision has been received for F-35s to be stationed at LAFB. • Eventually, there will be six squadrons with approximately 144 aircraft in total. This is to be achieved by 2020. • Lt. Col. Engelson was part of the Community Initiative Team and the Environmental Impact Assessment process. • There has been great governmental and private citizen support for the F35 program at LAFB. • The first F35 to be received at LAFB will be Air Force #41, which will be the 100th F35 produced by Lockheed Martin. Therefore, there will be great fanfare when the aircraft arrives sometime within February through April 2014. • The initial LAFB contract for the F35 program is $110 million. • Of the $110 million, $55 million will be used for the Academic Training Center. The center will have 12 simulator bays, briefing areas and classified academic rooms. The center will open from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. • Construction of the first operations building at LAFB will begin this fall. The building will be routinely security swept during construction. • The first F35 squadron will be the 61St Fighter Squadron, which has a pre-WWII lineage and is a former F16 squadron at LAFB. • The first F35 training center will be at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. • The Marine Corps and Navy are also purchasing F35s as well and will also be trained at Eglin Air Force Base. • Partner nations have also purchased F35s and some of their pilots will be trained at Eglin too. • It is expected that once the F35s arrive at LAFB flight operations will be very similar to current operations. • In regards to noise concerns, Lt. Col. Engelson could not tell the difference in the noise level between the F16 and the F35, however the pitch of the F35 is a bit different. • LAFB wants to be good neighbors and if necessary, will consider flight pattern changes as long as the mission is not changed. [Commissioner Hernandez entered the meeting.] • Beginning in April 2014, the F16 squadrons will start moving from LAFB to Holliman Air Force Base. The move will continue in 2015 depending on budget and scheduling factors. • F16s will be needed for at least the next three to four years until the F35 program is at full capacity. Commissioner Terrill inquired if the initial cadre of F35 pilots from LAFB would be trained at Eglin in Florida. Lt. Col. Engelson replied in the positive, noting that it will be some time before LAFB is ready to hold a training program. Lt. Col. Engelson explained that the Air Force is purchasing 80% of the new F35s, the Marines and Navy are purchasing 15% and partner nations are purchasing approximately 5%. Lt. Col. Engelson added that the Air Force is purchasing the A-model, the Marines are purchasing the B-model and the Navy is purchasing the C-model. The models have some 2 different characteristics. In total, this is the largest Department of Defense contract ever with Lockheed Martin. Commissioner Irons inquired if only LAFB personnel would be working in the training buildings. Lt. Col. Engelson replied in the negative, explaining that most of the buildings would be occupied by Lockheed Martin personnel. Commissioner Rogen inquired about any necessary changes to runways at LAFB. Lt. Col. Engelson stated that the ramps would most likely require modification,but not the runways. Mr. Gillies thanked Lt. Col. Engelson for his presentation and stated that it was an honor to have him involved in the program and in attendance at the Commission meeting. 2. Phoenix Sky Harbor/Goodyear/Deer Valley Advisory Board Meeting Commissioner Terrill provided information on the Phoenix Sky Harbor/Goodyear/Deer Valley Advisory Board Meeting which he, Chair Cohoe and Commissioner Irons attended on August 15, 2013. Highlights included the following: • The Commission has its own meeting room in Terminal 3. • The Aviation Director, various staff and approximately two dozen others were present at the meeting. • As part of the agenda, minutes are approved and the Aviation Director gives an update on projects. • A few of the projects discussed were the Sky Train which opened in April 2013 and has already been utilized by 1 million riders, Terminal 3 which will be undergoing modernization and Terminal 2 which will be closed soon. Also, a new Chair and Vice Chair were elected due to term expirations. • It was also noted that Terminal 2 has five retailers that have experienced a 20% decrease in revenue, but has still generated approximately $918,000 for the City of Phoenix. Terminal 3 has generated approximately $1.4 million in revenue for the City of Phoenix which is a 20% decrease from 2011. Terminal 4 has 40 retailers that have experienced an increase in revenue from 2011 and has generated approximately $7.5 million for the City of Phoenix. • A presentation was given on how serious incidents and accidents are handled at Sky Harbor Airport. The process of communication to the family and media was presented. It was noted that the last crash at Sky Harbor Airport was on August 28, 2002. • A presentation was given on the Airport Emergency Plan. • The meeting lasted less than an hour. Commissioner lions asked if the Glendale Airport had an Emergency Plan. Mr. Fix stated that an Airport Emergency Plan is a federal requirement for each air carrier airport. Mr. Fix commented that since the Glendale Airport is a general aviation airport, an official Airport Emergency Plan is not required. Mr. Fix noted that the Airport does have agreements with local control towers, collective agreements with valley fire departments and alert systems in place in case of an emergency. 3 Mr. Allen added that in an emergency, the initial contact would be a call to 911 from the Tower and the closest fire department would be dispatched. Mr. Allen added that after initial necessary responders arrive, including the fire department, ambulance and hazmat*team if necessary, the NTSB would be involved to assess the situation. Mr. Allen noted that the closest fire station is approximately one mile away from the Airport. 3. Airport Business Plan Update Mr. Fix announced that he had received comments from Chair Cohoe via email regarding the Airport Business Plan. Mr. Fix will include some of the recommended wording and formatting changes as proposed. Mr. Fix stated that the Mission Statement will remain as originally written. Mr. Fix appreciated Chair Cohoe's input. Mr. Fix will research the difference between the Glen Harbor Business Park and the Glen Harbor Commerce Park. Mr. Fix clarified that the Airport Business Plan is a working document that is a five-year plan to coincide with the five-year Airport Capital Improvement Plan. Mr. Fix stated that the Airport Business Plan is still in draft mode and is currently being reviewed by the Economic Development Depaitment. The document will hopefully be finalized by year-end. Mr. Fix commented that the Airport Business Plan is an internal document which does not require Council approval but is part of his performance as Airport Administrator. 4. Ordinance No. 1741, New Series, Article III. Aviation Advisory Commission Bylaws Mr. Fix announced that Assistant City Attorney James Gruber has reviewed the document and provided suggested changes to the Bylaws. Mr. Fix clarified that the issue of quorum definition is clearly defined in the Bylaws. Mr. Fix noted that the Airport Advisory Commission is the only City commission to require Council approval of bylaws. Commissioner Hernandez motioned to approve the Aviation Advisory Commission Bylaws with the proposed corrections as noted on the document. Commissioner Rogen made the second. The motion carried 5—0. Mr. Fix stated that the Bylaws are slated for the October 8th Council agenda. 5. Minimum Operating Standards 4 Mr. Fix distributed Article 8 of the Minimum Operating Standards, which included a few changes in capitalization and heading consistency made by the City legal team. Mr. Fix noted that these final changes conclude the comment period on the document. Commissioner Hernandez motioned to approve the Airport Minimum Operating Standards with the proposed corrections as noted on the document. Commissioner Irons made the second. The motion carried 5—0. Mr. Fix announced that the Minimum Operating Standards will soon move forward to Council along with the Airport Leasing Policy, which is still being reviewed by the legal team and stakeholder group. Mr. Fix stated that the Airport Rules and Regulations are currently being reviewed by the Mayor, Council, and new City Manager. Mr. Fix anticipated that by year-end, all three documents should be presented to Council for approval. V. SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS Mr. Fix discussed the following: 1. Construction Projects/Grants a. The blast fence project has been completed and the close-out documents should be received soon. b. The Environmental Assessment for the ConAir property is being reviewed by the FAA. It is anticipated that a FONSI will be received, meaning that there is a finding of no significant (environmental) impact. The total acquisition cost for the property should be known within the next six months. ADOT will reimburse a portion of the purchase of the property. c. Runway Slurry/Seal Project: The date of the project is still to be determined. ADOT has many projects scheduled with a dwindling staff. Mr. Fix will be seeking a start date with ADOT. d. A new grant request has been approved by ADOT for apron rehabilitation and lighting design on the front ramp. This project will encompass approximately 60,000 square yards of asphalt. It is hoped that this project will begin by August 2014. The goal of the lighting re-design is for wing- tip clearance to maximize jet parking during events. 2. Budget/Expenses/Revenues a. Unplanned Expenses: i. FBO Building: Termite control and roof repairs due to rainwater leaks. ii. Portable radio expenditures: Necessary to participate in the City of Glendale 800 MHz system. b. Last fiscal year, revenues were slightly higher and expenses were slightly lower than this year. Overall, the Airport budget was increased this fiscal 5 year. This was because of higher insurance costs due to litigation. The insurance expense increased from $34,000 to $110,000 this fiscal year. 3. Economic Development a. Proposed museum: An access agreement must be in place with the museum owners because the aircraft will have to be towed to the museum site from the Airport. The Airport perimeter fence will have to be peeled back for access and then replaced. b. The Army National Guard may be interested in relocating their armory from Myrtle Ave. to the Airport. A meeting will be held this Friday regarding this issue. This could be a new land lease and a potential source of revenue for the Airport. c. Arizona Sci-Tech Festival: The festival begins in early 2014. West-MEC will again participate. d. The City of Glendale has established a Super Bowl Committee which will meet monthly beginning October 9th at 9:00 a.m. 4. Land Use Planning/Airspace a. Copperwing Sand & Gravel Proposal: This is a mining proposal from J.F. Long. The company will initially mine 100 acres of a 300 acre site. Twenty acres at a time will be mined over a fifteen year period. b. Beazer Homes: There is continued communication with the City of Phoenix regarding 244 residential homes proposed by Beazer within 1,300 feet from the Airport runway. Letters have been sent by Mr. Fix, the Glendale City Manager and the Glendale Planning Director in opposition to the proposal. The FAA Compliance Manager is aware of the issue. 5. FAA Grant Assurance Compliance a. APS Solar Farm: The FAA has approved the APS solar farm to remain in place until 2018, the duration of their lease with the City. b. The close-out letter for the FAA Corrective Action Plan should be moving forward. 6. Air Traffic Operations/Based Aircraft—Quarterly a. Mr. Fix reported that quarterly operations have held steady around 272, while last year quarterly operations were more in the 300-305 range. Some owners of aircraft have retired or passed away and no longer have aircraft at the Airport. Also, some aircraft had been counted in years past that were not officially based at the Airport. b. Mr. Allen reported a 14% decrease in traffic from August 2013 compared to August 2012. Other valley airports have reported increases, however, Glendale continues to trend downward. Mr. Fix noted that the Airport lost TransPac which comprised 30% of traffic. Commissioner Rogen inquired about the operations at Goodyear Airport. Mr. Allen stated that the flight schools at Goodyear are holding back on expansion because the Control Tower at Goodyear was on the closure list. Mr. Allen added that one of the flight schools at Goodyear is moving to Falcon Field. This will further reduce the traffic at Glendale because that flight school used to fly into Glendale. Mr. Allen announced that there were only two months in 2013 with operations better than expected. 6 Mr. Allen stated that September 30, 2013 is still the officially approved funding date for the Airport Control Tower, and Congress must act to extend that date. Mr. Fix encouraged the Commissioners to write their local and federal representatives in opposition of the Tower closure. VI. CALL TO THE PUBLIC Commissioner Ten-ill made a call to the public. No comments were made. VII. NEW BUSINESS REQUESTS (Future Agenda Items) The following items were proposed: • Glendale Citizens Corps Preparedness Presentation • Possible Change of Commission Meeting Start Time to 6:00 p.m. • Open Meeting Law Review • Invite Mayor Weiers and/or the Councilperson Representing the Airport District to an Upcoming Commission Meeting VIII. NEXT MEETING TIME The next meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on the second floor Conference Room of the Airport terminal building on Wednesday, October 9, 2013. IX. COMMISSION COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS Commissioner Ten-ill acknowledged the tragedy of 9/11 and, on behalf of the Commission, expressed gratitude to the armed forces for protecting the country so all in America may enjoy liberty and freedom. X. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m. by consensus. The Aviation Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes of September 11, 2013 were approved at the Com 'ssion Meeting October 9, 2013. a.,,bL —.._,_11...li Walter L. Fix,A.A.E. Airport Administrator 623-930-2188 7