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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-02-01 Minutes• • AIRPORT BOARD MINUTES • February 1, 2001 • • MEMBERS PRESENT: Charles Wallace, Rick McKinney, Frank Burggraf, Michael Andrews, Frank Sperandeo STAFF PRESENT: Alett Little, Dale Frederick, Tonya Posey, Louise Powers OTHERS PRESENT: Leslie Parkes -Wickes Telecommunications for SWB; Terry Collier - tenant; K. R. Schossow-Wings Avionics, Inc.; Matthew P. Wagner - NW Ark. Times; John Kalagias-Air Museum; Pam Baldridge-The Paddock Grill WALLACE: ITEM #1: Call to Order. Commented he hoped the Airport Board would be open to new ideas and was confident there would be quite a few over the next few months. LITTLE: PARKES: ITEM #2: Minutes of the January 4, 2001 meeting. A motion to approve the minutes as written was made by Mr. McKinney and seconded by Mr. Sperandeo. The motion carried. ITEM #3: New Business: a Southwestern Bell Easement Explained that Ms. Leslie Parkes was at the meeting representing SW Bell. They are requesting an easement with a one-time payment of $1,000. It will be located behind their existing equipment, just north of the Arkansas Technology Center and south of the Bell -Aire Maintenance facility. The request is to place an additional fiber optic equipment station on airport property. Answering Mr. Sperandeo, the distance between the two buildings is small and is not large enough to permit the building of another hangar. This will be a remote terminal and it will provide for faster and better service to homes in the area. All wiring will be connected to what is already there. SW Bell will fence all of the area for safety. WALLACE: A motion to approve the request for an easement was made by Mr. McKinney and seconded by Mr. Andrews. The motion carried. LITTLE: b. Incentive package for t -hangar leases. Explained to the Board that 24 new t -hangar units had been constructed last year and the airport still had a few vacancies. Advertisements had been placed in the Star Shopper and in the Fort Smith newspaper. She suggested giving one month's rent free if a new tenant would agree to rent for one year. -1- • • • • • • ANDREWS: WALLACE: SPERANDEO: COLLIER: BURGGRAF: SPERANDEO: WALLACE: The one month written notice of cancellation would not be in effect during that first year of rental. Suggested advertising on the government channel. Suggested advertising the incentive in all major newspapers in both counties. A motion to approve the rental incentive was made by Mr. McKinney and seconded by Mr. Burggraf. The motion carried. c. Frank Sperandeo, AOPA representative. Stated he appreciated having been selected to serve on the Airport Board. Commented he was a member of the AOPA and part of the ASN (Airport Support Network). Stated he had a 15 minute video he would like to show sometime that explains all about ASN and would like to encourage everyone's support of the airport. Said he had called AOPA to register the gas prices at Drake Field and they will be published. Commented he and Alett had visited and he would like for the airport to have an Open House for the public. This should involve all media, recognizing a new start at this very viable airport which will also attract new businesses. The Open House should be in the spring or in the fall. Offered to help with the promotion by providing an aerial photo. Asked the principal activity at the Open House and how would it be different from the fly -ins we've had? They would provide airplane rides, would have Dan Coody and the Council here. The primary focus would be on the public. Stated he had a packet on conducting an Open House. Businesses like Wings would have tables for working on radios and booths would be set up by different aviation businesses. There would be tours of the tower and the A & P school could have a booth to recruit. They would get donations for food and have them set up tables to give away samples and get the retail community behind it. Said he would even call Alice Walton and get her involved. To celebrate our Open House, it would need to be advertised in Fort Smith and Little Rock. Suggested that Sperandeo bring a plan back to the Airport Board with a theme and a suggested timetable. -2- • WALLACE: FREDERICK: SPERANDEO: FREDERICK: LITTLE: WALLACE: SCHOSSOW: ITEM #4: Other Business. a. Policies and Procedures for the Airport Board. Stated the item would be before the City Council next week on February 6 and would be the accumulation of about one year's work. Saying he was confident the Council would expand the Airport Board by two members, and would increase the accountability of the Board. In the future, if approved, items needing to be considered would come to the Airport Board before going to the City Council. There is currently a City rule that members of the City Committees and Boards must be a resident of the City. The Airport Board is asking for the membership of the Board to be extended to include membership from the county. The unique situation of the airport is a broader concept than a city. b. Marketing Report. Gave a summary of the marketing report which was included in the agenda. Asked if staff kept a tickler file and asked if Dale asked these businesses what it would take to get their business here? He stated a good salesman is a pushy person. Asked if Dale had the authority to make a deal, and if he, himself, had the authority to make deals, and would he be out of line to bring a lease? Explained this is a government, not the private sector, saying he (Dale) had the authority to bring a project forward for the Airport Board to consider. The City has Ordinances that we don't want to violate. Said that neither Board members nor she had the authority to negotiate final projects and that the proper procedure was for negotiations with the staff to culminate in a Letter of Intent which is then brought to the Airport Board. Responded that files were kept on calls made and of follow-up calls. After Dale has made the initial call on a company, then she and Dale make follow- up calls. The follow-up calls sometimes result in other contacts with companies the original contact suggests. She said the follow-up is particularly important as they have worked with several companies six months. The process generally involves several iterations of information sharing and financial discussions before a final proposal may be crafted. Stated there was nothing wrong with any of the Board getting the information out to businesses, but the Board members are not in a position to make a lease. Commented that Rogers had received an FAA grant for $800,000 to open the airport out to the west and it is on its way to becoming what we already have. • • • LITTLE: They have the push from Wal -mart and it will happen. Stated the office is working with two companies for the restaurant in the terminal. Pam Baldridge is here today from the Paddock Grill in Greenland to bring a proposal. Mentioned the possibility of having an auction on the airport to get rid of a lot of things that are in the airport's storage. Tenants could also take part and list their items with the auctioneer. The FAA is wanting to decommission the MLS and we have been working with Gary Rixsmann in Washington, D.C. They want someone to take over the maintenance for the MLS. Stated that Dale, Tonya and she would be attending the FAA Partnership in Fort Worth on February 6-7 and would continue to gather information about the airport's options to recommission the MLS. Staff had been approached by a radio station to hold a concert at Drake Field and meetings with the radio station personnel, the Mayor, City staff and Mr. Wallace were held to discuss the possibilities, with Mayor Coody agreeing to help the promoters work with the University to use Walton Arena. • WALLACE: Said the event had the possibility of attracting 20,000 plus people on the airfield and the airport would have to be closed for the day. He didn't think is was a compatible use for the airport and an outdoor concert would give the public a negative message about the airport. • BALDRIDGE: Introduced herself as the owner of The Paddock Grill in Greenland and had brought a proposal to operate a restaurant in the terminal, stating she did have some questions that would need to be answered about natural gas and the hood system to the restaurant area, the liquor license, and signs. LITTLE: Said she would go over the proposal with Ms. Baldridge and there might be a need to have a special meeting. POSEY: c. Financial Report. The City of Fayetteville will not complete their year-end closing until February 28, but in an effort to address your request for quarterly reports we are bring you information through November 30, 2000. She explained two additions have been made to the statement in an effort to be more explanatory and gave a summary of the financial statement that was included in the agenda. She also commented there is a lag time between receiving a check from the State for a State Grant project completed Last June. The report is in -4- • • • • • WALLACE: LITTLE: WALLACE: SPERANDEO: WALLACE: 0.0 Burggraf, Secretary , / / Date the same format as used previously in order to follow Accounting Department protocol. Commented the "interest" amount will decline as we spend funds on projects, but that interest should be offset by revenues generated by investments. Reported they had been working with the City's new Accounting Manger Marsha Farthing, and commented the Airport is very lucky to have these funds to work with. d. Recent T -hangar leases signed. The Airport had one new t -hangar lease signed in January and Mr. Bell will be moving to t -hangar F -South storage and vacating his maintenance hangar at the Is' of March. Asked the Board Members to remember April 5 and allow time for a lunch and most of the afternoon for the next Airport Board Meeting when they will have a complete orientation for the new Airport Board members. We expect two new members will be added and asked the Board to ask people to apply for the Board positions. He would like the nominating committee to have a lot of nominees. Mentioned there was a GPS seminar at Rogers tonight at 7:00 p.m. Meeting adjourned at 3:04 p.m. -5- • • Fra,. 2 ; 2o0 Northwest Arkansas TIMES l'Ar 14:.7.:::.: Is: city: offers incentive fpriLiptp§p0p.:tiy,;::..q.;;Ii.,11.1qp...ga...;.c.-.-tenants at Drak.Fiel� By MATT WAGNER _ Staff Wri ter - � Eight of the 24 new hangars built at -Drake Field last year. remain, .. vacant, but •Fayetteville .Airport Board .members are hoping .art" ; attractive incentive package they approved, Thursday will entiee :.J., aircraft owners to•sign a one-year lease at:the airfield. .` Economic: Development Director Alett •Little,:who doubles as the''i airport manager, proposed the airport waive the first`nronth's'rent on .: all single -year leases :starting ;today — a concept that was weli= ' ' -received by board- members..Little said the,, threerows of new:T- r;� hangazs constructed last year accommodated .Cenants`who `havetieen'' waiting for monthg, but 'the 'demand has hit a plateau: • `= ` `• ' I "It's not working as fast as we would like it to work," she said. "We'' 1I • would like to tell you we are at full occupancy, but we can't, so' We" want to: offer one month's rent free. It would be like a 10 percent' discount. ,,. .- ^r +" :.Current lease rates.at the airport are $115 ps�,m nlh for singlee` engine plane and $142 a month for a`twln"englne •Little snd Nuri effoits to fill the vacancies have so far been unsuccessful . Airport ; 'staff has placed advertisements In local publications and hung a now', leasing"`banner at the northeastcorner• of the airfield' to get the word. 'out, she added a n a3::i > , ; (iii -„ Newly •appointed•board member Frank Sperandeo • suggested the... • word 'hangar" or -an airplane,emblem be added to, the sign to cla' . . that the airport Is •actively'seeking private pilots` to •lease available' space.. Mike Andrews, a new board member, said''the'airport might•,. consider running` an announcement on the' Goverthment,Channel,,, publicizing the offer.: in;tr;rfi%;:. [:•:,::: 0-- : Board :Chairman' Charles Wallace said. he thought th dlease.rates,r., • were already low at Drake Fleld and expected the ,incentive would r.I .bringthe hangars back to full capacity:*,."i "Our: hangars are a real good deal," he said. "We,should,fil;those,•,' • In other business; Sperandeo: urged the board `to organfie; an open.:y house at the airport terminal lit the fall to iinpinve.ttie publl¢ image'of l+' the largely empty facility; which was deserted, 4wheii-c6minerolat_6 • 'airline service moved to: the regional airport • In Highfill almost loge years ago .'.:"Ihe image of the airport is the No.:1 concern," he said. 'We need funetion: specifically geared ;toward the public:This-is +their airport. • . •This is the diamond that has not been polished;'., Board' member Frank Burggrafsald'tlie eveint shiould .have 'some: sort of'theme, like "safety in flying to .attract the publle to Drake -1'4i Field. The event'should point out; the often overlooked fact that „ 'traveling by aircraft is safer'than dihringThe said' : P 1:3.;, J ni Wallace directed Sperandeo to meet with Little and devise a planiosZI be presented at the board's March meeting.: . • • :yJD .J� ri"•.-', . tzi"'I� 1 lj: _...af.0 (.11:15 h'7' ry wp .fi... . IA,:y UON MICHAEL ., :McKinney'saici'two •board members :consider matters, "pertaining to,the� ..awft h ' " . ,, , z; ?cinrently;live' out&&Id& theme tre- `operation improvement:' extension -41.. fb Fayetteville'City Council :Frank Burggraf who: i•e red Ltd and maintenance of Drake Field and; bYtai Winslow senie,yearsago -and ;neiuly:i other -related. facilities propertyand:i4i the F, a Ah„oh :the:thi -appointed,. > member . Frank , easements Additionally„the City C- , : „ , pioposalstoallowiirembers perarrdeo,.whoSaidhelivesjusttwo `Council will now :•require a n 1/11 'o•tsidehe dtyllinits )r. t: miles outside%the cityc.limitsin recommendation from the board .'t ,, ahe ' ons lredraited Weddurgton Woods beforeacting on any airport related q; i Fa-narid. a =After the cotmdl agreed to'limit items. coupe s l ordinairee {In meinberahip'•to Fayetteville voters, m. Inother achon:` ` , :•: rommlttee were 'approved -_by Alderman Young` proposed the . • The Fayetteville City;Coundl s;,.1 '. dermen ;without a'change':that panel opep it;up,to all Fayetteville •;being asked to relocate water ands ,• m qu�ed residents and hlsmotionpasseri7-1 sewer.lines ;along North;Garland.'; with'Alden an .Kevin Santos'voting ' `Avenue to accommodate a median ::, T,” TWresnntaffves ty : , ,; being constructed by the Arkansas •.,' '[tva,�representatives of, the ,agape bb it- t De artmentof.H wa A ublic' F Fayetteville Chamber.of Commerce `rhe board revamped its bylaws P ys• P ' before She council to e kst year grid at one ifile:considered r hearing willbe ;held hom 4 7 p•ms ala dP ei "en- •',,kkeep any memberof becoming ai boardiof authority 15 at Leverett Elementary ilier'boMieli r/any:. ident 4Babli36i instead oftfi advi"sorylpan` bl'dt isSell,. errellandDave Fulton, chairman of t now;;That -idea, was discarded,., however, ieavin onl minimal,.. er'Chambei's Board;of Directors .t g Y. th said' membership shouldnt be S , f. expanded to the county: ' . ` Irl ;the new set ofregulations :_.; -two ., ��.71 simply see rio`need to spread the addittonal members are added to the ,- playing"field;that wide," Hilton said , board -and :Wallateasked that ,the adding it.could result�in members ,councll convene a'�rreeting of;the; interests, are contrary_ to; that IVominating,Committee soon to fill : the board, in light of other airports the, empty:Positions ;,; •t eOuntif. ` • Additfopally,,the.boa 41..i1lstie: '.`'Ferrell said dtiieris who shalt the consulted moreoften`by the mayor; tburden of paying for city services : on 'personnel matters pertaining to .+5 should be the only ones'.eligible for staffers at Drake .Field Municipal ;: !E'_- r -saviceonboanisandcommissions. .Airport and the mayor,has,beeni .?Alderman '>,,12andy. ; Zurcher made a non voting member of the residents ho.live in the board ' ` •` N planning areas adjacent to the city The board Wil now be`the first t . limits should be'fallowed to serve on ar7,.arid disagreed that only ,: voteiieshould be qualified. ?%-'{?Air`p0.1-Skirt: Chairman Charles Wpfla& told council members the: i11014sive eiguT OTijit allow the t; roe ,lose r�ou' e tht io`st'h64i$ed .. "'a:+he counE ty instead of rio-•,�F.re•. car thedtys.resources.. ;;- 'IA' „ull like for' tlie `Airport ` ; •, « I •• have as much:wipesrise and .: • - is' ` I diversity as • possible, he,. ret' /oit;:Board . meriiber: Rick • • } w:y�ettevi er ouncil"approves irpo s :oar .guiee ines$: