Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Aviation Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 6/8/2016 MINUTES AVIATION ADVISORY COMMISSION GLENDALE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 6801 N. GLEN HARBOR BLVD - SUITE 201 GLENDALE, ARIZONA 85307 AIRPORT CONFERENCE ROOM JUNE 8, 2016 6:00 P.M. I. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Chair Paul Dagostino with the following Commissioners present: Vice Chair, Larry Rovey, Terry Aramian, TimTopliff, Randal Kruger, and Leonard Escudero. Also present were Kenn Potts, Airport Administrator; John Padilla, Luke Air Force Base II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING Vice Chair Rovey motioned to approve the May 11, 2016 meeting minutes as written. Commissioner Escudero made the second. The motion carried 6—0. III. REQUEST FOR CONTINUANCE OR WITHDRAWAL OF ITEMS. None. IV. AIRPORT BUSINESS 1. Loyalty Oath for the Chair of the Aviation Advisory Commission Chair Dagostino read aloud and signed the Loyalty Oath for his Chairpersonship. 2. Welcome New Aviation Advisory Commissioner Members—Loyalty Oath Three new Commissioners were welcomed and two new members signed their Loyalty Oaths. Vice Chair Rovey commented on the benefit of the extensive aviation backgrounds of the new Commissioners. All present at the meeting gave a brief background of themselves for introduction purposes. 3. Aviation Advisory Commission Skill Sets A draft document with regarding Commissioner skill sets was presented and reviewed. Vice Chair Rovey suggested that tabling the item so that the new Commissioners may have time to review and provide comments or suggestions to the document prior to adoption. Vice Chair Rovey motioned to table the vote regarding the document on suggested Commissioner Skill Sets until the July meeting. Commissioner Topliff made the second. The motion carried 6—0. Commissioner Escudero stated that he also sent a proposed mission statement to Mr. Potts which was in response to the Arizona Republic article comparing the Glendale and Scottsdale Airports as discussed at the May Commission meeting. Commissioner Escudero stated that the reporter recommended a vision statement for the Glendale Airport. Chair Dagostino asked if there was an Airport vision statement. Mr. Potts replied that to his knowledge, there was not. The proposed mission statement was distributed to the Commissioners. Vice Chair Rovey suggested including the proposed vision statement on the next Commission meeting agenda. 1 4. City General Plan Airport Role Chair Dagostino facilitated a discussion regarding the role of the Airport in the City of Glendale General Plan. Chair Dagostino commented that it is important for the Commission to know how the Airport is addressed in the City's General Plan. Commissioner Topliff stated that the Airport is a hidden gem of the City and it would be helpful if the Airport could have another flight school on site. Commissioner Topliff commented on the flight schools at Deer Valley Airport. Commissioner Kruger stated that the Council needed to embrace the value of the Airport and the lack of a vision statement could be the reason why the Airport has been involved in lawsuits. Commissioner Kruger had inquired as to the purpose of the Commission prior to his being appointed and he could not get a clear answer. Commissioners Aramian and Topliff shared the same experience. Commissioner Escudero suggested that the new Commissioners review the list of accomplishments from last fiscal year as drafted by Mr. Potts. Mr. Potts will distribute the document to the new Commissioners. Commissioner Escudero announced that the Commission, and most notably Vice Chair Rovey, was instrumental in helping to block the proposed Camelback Ranch residential development. Vice Chair Rovey gave a brief background of the issue. Commissioner Escudero commented on the upcoming Airport Open House and Run the Runway, which requires Commissioner involvement and will showcase the Airport and other City departments. Commissioner Escudero added that he has briefly spoken with the Tribal Chief of the new west side casino regarding a potential partnership to attract clients to the casino via the Airport and hoped this could be further developed. Commissioner Escudero stressed the importance of enhancing the Airport's viability in the community. Chair Dagostino agreed and noted that this is the importance of knowing how the Airport is addressed in the City's General Plan. [Commissioner Escudero excused himself from the meeting.] Vice Chair Rovey expressed concerns regarding the two-year term of an Airport Commissioner and felt that a term of this length was too short for the expertise necessary to be effective. Commissioner Topliff inquired if the City of Glendale could buy back the Camelback Ranch parcel to keep it from being developed. Vice Chair Rovey replied that the City does not have the funds in the budget for the purchase. Commissioner Topliff inquired if the Commission could make a formal recommendation to the Council regarding the issue. Vice Chair Rovey replied that the Commission could have a discussion and conduct a vote on the recommendation. Commissioner Kruger stated that the Glendale and Scottsdale Airports are very different and cannot be compared. Commissioner Kruger felt that the Goodyear Airport was more in line with a direct comparison and research should be conducted as to why pilots use the Goodyear Airport instead of the Glendale Airport. Commissioner Topliff commented that he has a family member who is involved in the corporate aviation business and these businesses focus on the costs flying and fuel expense. Commissioner Kruger agreed that the cost of fuel is very important to pilots and pilots will go to where fuel is inexpensive. Commissioner Kruger added that how an Airport treats a pilot is very important as well and shared an experience of how well he was assisted at an airport outside of Denver. Commissioner Topliff stated that the FBO sets the tone for many airports and if the FBO is good to the customers, the airport will be busy. 2 Vice Chair Rovey asked if the Airport conducts a survey to pilots to obtain satisfaction feedback. Mr. Potts stated that he was not aware of a survey. Vice Chair Rovey felt that the lack of a survey should be addressed. Commissioner Topliff stressed that in aviation, fuel prices are very important and if there is no fuel competition at an airport, the FBO is free to set any prices. Commissioner Kruger stated that this issue should be put on a future agenda and consideration should be made to set up a separate sub-committee for research on the topic. Commissioner Kruger felt the City should encourage the FBO to lower fuel prices, at least for special events. Commissioner Topliff replied that the Commission could make a recommendation to Council regarding the issue which could open up the discussion between the FBO and the City. Commissioner Kruger explained that the City could not legally stipulate how much the FBO could charge for fuel,but could incentive prices in some manner. Commissioner Topliff commented that the City has been very focused on entertainment opportunities, but has had little focus on the Airport. Commissioner Kruger noted that it can be hard to get the general public to see the value of an airport as some citizens view a municipal airport as a financial burden. Chair Dagostino agreed that Glendale is very different from Scottsdale; however, some sort of successful airpark could be developed. Chair Dagostino suggested discussing the possibility of the City providing a fuel incentive to the FBO for special events, such as the 2017 Final Four Championship. Chair Dagostino commented that if successful, this could increase Airport revenues next year. Vice Chair Rovey stated that information regarding the Airport and the General Plan still needs to be obtained. Chair Dagostino asked Mr. Potts to schedule a presentation from the City regarding the Airport and the General Plan. Chair Dagostino also stated that a feedback survey for Airport users should be developed. 5. Discuss Airport Capital Improvement Program (ACIP) Mr. Potts presented information on the 2018-2022 ACIP for the Airport. Mr. Potts announced that on May 25`h,he met with the FAA and ADOT to present the 5-Year ACIP.Mr. Potts provided a list of projects on the ACIP with general descriptions, proposed costs and an aerial display of the project locations. Commissioner Topliff wondered if the City could bid on Airport pavement projects, such as the north apron project, utilizing City staff and equipment. Commission Topliff explained that this would stretch City dollars instead of outsourcing the project. Mr. Potts replied that per FAA requirements, the project must go out to bid and would research if the City has the capacity and appropriate equipment to handle such a large asphalt project. Commissioner Aramian asked if the City maintenance could perform general asphalt maintenance. Mr. Potts is working with the City regarding crack sealing and added that part of the terminal building parking lot was paved by the City. Vice Chair Rovey inquired as to the environmental assessment process on the capital projects. Mr. Potts clarified the FAA requirements. Chair Dagostino motioned to accept the 2018-2022 Glendale Municipal Airport Capital Improvement Program (ACIP) as presented and to submit the ACIP to the FAA and ADOT. Commissioner Topliff made the second. The motion carried 5 — 0. [Commissioner Escudero was no longer present.] 3 V. SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS Mr. Potts reported on current airport activities: 1. Construction Projects/Grants Status o Mr. Potts and the FAA have submitted comments regarding the North Apron Project design. The project should go out to bid in July with construction beginning in the fall. o Mr. Potts will send the Commissioners a link to the Airport Layout Plan Narrative. The Airport Forecast was approved by the FAA. The draft ALP documents will be sent to the airport at the end of June. o In July, grants should be received for the Conair property purchase for FY16 and FY17 in the amount of approximately $2.1 million each year for a total of approximately$4.2 million. o The Windsock project is with the City Engineering department currently. Airport users have been complaining about its absence. The new Windsock will have LED lighting. The bushing on the old Windsock was worn causing it to be leaning and it was inaccurate. City of Glendale capital funds will be used for the Windsock project. o Amendment 1 to ADOT Grant E5F3M, which the Commission recommended for Council approval last month, was approved by Council and the state. Once the reimbursement is received, the project will be closed. o Regarding the License Agreement with Cox Communications for interne at the Airport, the City Attorney did not agree with all of the letter form. He has developed an amendment and it has been signed by Cox. This delayed the presentation to the City Council by two weeks. 2. Operating Budget/Expenses/Revenues—graphs o Mr. Potts presented detailed budget information for the month of May and year-to-date fiscal year for revenues and expenses. o Mr. Potts reported that the Airport receives an annual subsidy from the City for approximately $100,000 in order to meet expenses. o Approximately 65%of the annual Airport budget is for utilities. o The fiscal year will still end approximately $7,000 over budget due to vehicle maintenance issues and salary and retirement expenses such as accrued vacation payouts. o Commissioner Topliff wondered if the APS solar farm could be looked at to help with utility costs. Commissioner Kruger stated that the solar farm is archaic. Mr. Potts stated that the solar farm is still functional and although the City would like the land back, the lease with APS goes through 2018. Mr. Potts explained that APS is willing to break the lease if the City pays for the removal of the solar panels. Commissioner Aramian suggested a solar farm at the Camelback Ranch parcel. Commissioner Kruger suggested installing solar panels on the hangar roofs. Commissioner Topliff stated that the Airport could look at promoting itself at one of the first green Airports in the U.S. if solar panels were used. 3. Airport Business Activity/Lease Updates o The Butler box hangar has been sold to Guidance Aviation, which is an FAA-approved helicopter flight school. The hangar will initially be used for storage with hopes to expand into an operational flight school. This will be a great asset to the Airport. o Recruitment is underway for a Service Worker II position at the Airport due to a recent retirement. o Gold Coast Helicopters has changes its name to Skyquest Aviation. Skyquest requested that their signage be removed. 4. Land Use Planning/Zoning/Development o Copper Wing Mining Operations wants to expand. They are located on the John F. Long property near the Airport and Copper Wing has been a very good neighbor. o A local business is looking to build a very large building just north of the Airport and Mr. Potts has requested that the business do an airspace study with the FAA. 4 5. 2017 NCAA Final Four National Championship o The first planning meeting was held this morning. At the meeting, Mr. Potts was asked if the Airport has "Welcome" signs or banners. Mr. Potts does not have the budget for these items but anticipates receiving them from another City department. o Commissioner Topliff stated that the participating college teams will have jets for travel. Commissioner Topliff commented that Mayor Weiers should send a letter to the colleges welcoming them and inviting them to use the Glendale Airport. Commissioner Topliff added that a representative from the Convention and Tourism Department should come to an Airport meeting to give a presentation on how they handle these types of special events. 6. Air Traffic Operations/Airspace/Community Relations/Mayor Video o Flight operations were down 13% for the month of May 2016 compared to May 2015. This may have been caused by the high winds in May. o Thirteen noise complaints have been received this week. o On June 22nd there will be a large crane at the Conair property to replace a/c units. The Airport will be closed until noon for installation of the units. o On Tuesday, the local Runway Safety Team Action meeting was held to discuss safety issues at the Airport. Two issues were deficient: the Windsock and the Secondary Wind Indicator. A fall safety meeting will be planned. o This coming Saturday, the Young Eagles event will host the Tuskegee Airmen's ACE Aviation Career Education students which will be held at 7:00 a.m. 7. Luke Air Force Base Operations—No update. Mr. Potts stated that planning for the Open House on November 5, 2016 continues and distributed a list of general activities/tasks for the event. Mr. Potts held a meeting with Airport tenants and informed the tenants that the runway will be closed for approximately 2 hours for the Run the Runway event. Chair Dagostino announced that he has a contact for a car show that was recently held at Westgate Plaza. Vice Chair Rovey offered some antique tractors to display at the event. Commissioner Aramian inquired as to how parking would be handled during the Open House and Mr. Potts displayed an aerial map of the Open House layout. Mr. Potts added that music, food, inflatables and face painting could be offered at the event. Mr. Potts has been working with the City's Special Events department and will be meeting with police and fire shortly. Mr. Potts appreciated any help from the Commissioners in regards to the list of tasks. Mr. Potts asked Commissioners to submit their task choices to him by June 17th VI. CALL TO THE PUBLIC Chair Dagostino made the Call to the Public. No comments were made. VII. NEW BUSINESS REQUESTS (Future Agenda Items) Agenda items suggested during the meeting include: • A presentation from a City representative regarding the Airport's role in the City's General Plan • Invite a representative from the Special Events department regarding the Open House plans • Invite a representative from the Convention and Tourism to discuss how large sporting events are planned and the Airport's role 5 VIII. NEXT MEETING TIME The next meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. on the second floor Conference Room of the Airport terminal building on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. IX. COMMISSION COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS Commissioners were offered the opportunity for additional comments at this time. X. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 8:36 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Denise Kazmierczak Recording Secretary The Aviation Advisory-Commission Meeting Minutes of June 8,2016 were approved at the Commission Meeting of July 13, 2016. 0 Kenneth Potts, A.A.E., MBA Airport Administrator 623-930-2188 6