HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-04-08 MinutesAIRPORT BOARD MEETING
• April 8, 2004
MEMBERS PRESENT: Charles Wallace, Frank Sprerandeo, Dave Bowman, Bob Nickle,
David Hollman, Janice Stanesic
MEMBERS ABSENT: Otto Loewer
OTHERS PRESENT: John P. Ross -Ross Executive Aviation, Inc., Judy Hammond -Arkansas
Air Museum, Tim McClurg and Mike Kratchmer-Ark. Aviation Tech. Center, Charles Caldwell -
tenant, Wayne Jones-McClellend Engineers, Charlie Morash-NW Ark. Times, Jim Hillabrand-
tenant, Rick McKinney -tenant, Terry Collier -tenant, Dr. Vaughn DeCoster-tenant
STAFF PRESENT: Ray Boudreaux, James Nicholson, Louise Powers
ITEM #1: Welcome, Charles Wallace, Chairman.
Thanked all that were attending in person and the TV audience, and also thanked Dr. Loewer for
moderating the meeting in February. Explained there were no minutes for March because there
was no meeting. He thanked staff for providing books for the Board members' agendas.
ITEM #2: Minutes of the February 12, 2004 meeting.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Bob Nickle, but questioned
• who had made the motion shown at the top of Page 3 for the T -hangar. The
motion was seconded by Dave Hollman.
Following discussion, Chairman Wallace asked that the February 12a' minutes reflect the motion
was made by consensus of the Board.
The motion carried.
ITEM #3: Receiving of Reports.
A. Charles Wallace, Chairman, reported the Board met on March 31" for a Strategic Planning
Meeting and had revisited their goals and successes. He related that Ray has received a mandate
from the City for the Airport to be self-sufficient by 2006. C. Wallace wanted the audience to
know the Board is concerned. He said we need to state clearly, using numbers, the economic
impact this airport has on the community. Four assignments came out of the meeting: Ray to
gather economic impact information, possibly by sharing a program with other City departments;
Dave Bowman will gather the market outlook and trends; Frank Sperandeo will gather
information from AOPA that will help us understand their research that helps general aviation
airports; Ray will review the budget, in case payment is needed for a study. At the Strategic
Planning Meeting we also reviewed the 2004 Capital Program. We approve each project as it
comes along, and we need to evaluate the investment, as well as the return. Projects for 2004:
Taxiway Alpha and Taxiway Extension; Roof repairs for the T -Hangars; Constrict a T -Hangar;
and a Marketing Program. He commented that twice this week he had heard "that the big planes
• subsidize the little ones", and he felt that comments shouldn't be said that one supports the other.
Another comment he had heard is "those folks over there (Airport Management) aren't interested
in the folks over here (east ramp tenants)". That is not true, pointing out a new self serve fuel
facility has been opened and a new T -Hangar is being built.
• . B. Ray Boudreaux, Director. Mentioning some items in his report, he announced the self
serve fueling facility for AvGas is open. The 87 Octane tank should be here by the middle of
April and installed by the end of April. He stated in March he had attended the Annual FAA
Conference and had defended the need for the connecting taxiway, a safety project, which would
allow two entrances to the Forest Service Ramp. The Arkansas Aeronautics Commission
approved a grant for $100,000 towards the new T -Hangar. Due to some failures of fueling
equipment, we have entered into a preventive maintenance contract with Aircraft Maintenance
Professional to work on our trucks. James is preparing the RFP for a fueling contract, which has
to go out for bids every three years. The Airport has received the FAA Cost/Benefit Analysis
letter for the tower costs. We are scheduled to begin paying February 1, 2005. Our part will be
59%, instead of 75% as previously told. We are preparing a letter to request consideration of
additional reductions. R. Boudreaux introduced Dr. Vaughn DeCoster, saying he would tell
about the Fly -In last Saturday.
Dr. DeCoster stated he was the Wing Leader of the NW Arkansas Angel Flight. Angel Flight
has 870 pilots in the program. The Fly In had remarkable success with about 50 in attendance
with standing room only. There were three FAA Safety Seminars and twelve new pilots signed
up for Angel Flight. Several aviation businesses donated items for prizes, a lot of pilots bought
the $1.95 fuel. AirNav had some nice comments about the airport.
C. James Nicholson,
Financial Coordinator. Fuel sales were
average
in March
even with
some bad weather days.
The self serve sold 1,200 gallons during
the last
two weeks
in March
• and 2,000 gallons were sold in the first week in April. Full service AvGas sales have only
dropped a little. C. Wallace mentioned the $1.95 per gallon price at the self serve is barely at a
break even point. The Self Serve Facility is owned by the City of Fayetteville and we can not
sell the fuel at a loss. J. Nicholson reported they had ordered a load of fuel that day and the cost
had dropped five cents. The self serve price would remain at $1.95 a while longer. Local airports
have increased all their fuel prices by five to ten cents and we remain lower than all except for
Siloam Springs. About 80% of our fuel sales are for Jet, and 20% are for AvGas. C. Wallace,
speaking of the Financial Report, said the revenues are going up. R. Boudreaux stated they had
taken the 60' x 60' hangar out of this year's budget. J. Nicholson reported our operations have
continued to grow. R. Boudreaux explained staff had replaced a compressor on the terminal's
heat and air system, but haven't received a cost estimate for the repairs for the boilers. R.
Boudreaux answering questions said the Airport is responsible for the repairs on the fuel trucks,
and lately they have been numerous. AV Fuel does re -pay the Airport for some of the repairs.
D. Construction Report, Wayne Jones. Reported the foundation for the U. of A. hangar is
being poured today. The T -Hangar plans are almost completed and should be advertised next
week, with the contract going to the City Council the second week in May. He said Ray had
requested an electrical engineer to look at T -Hangars "A" through "D" to evaluate the cause for
fuses being blown. He will look at the load on each breaker now as compared to when the
hangars were constructed. Each breaker serves two to three bays. The new hangar will have a
breaker for each bay and more lights. There was a minor delay in the taxiway project because an
archeological site was shown by the State. The archeologist is writing a letter to the State saying
the area had been used as a farm field and other construction has been performed in that area. R.
• Boudreaux stated he had been notified yesterday of a water drainage problem to part of the east
side of T -Hangar G. The problem was to have been corrected when we installed the new drains.
W. Jones said today before the meeting he had gone to the hangar, poured buckets of water over
K
the porous cement. Some
areas do not accept
the water
at the
same
rate as others. The problem
has just been reported and
now it has been too
long to go
back
to the
contractor. The cause could
• have been that there was more cement content in that particular delivery. The drain has 4" of
porous cement on top, then filter media, then the drain. Solution would be to remove and
replace. Mr. Hillabrand stated he had just bought a hangar in Rogers and would be moving out
of the moldy hangar, but he would come back to buy fuel and visit with his friends. R.
Boudreaux asked Mr. Jones to find a solution and the cost. He asked that if tenants in T -Hangars
E, F, and G have problems, to come to him. He stated the new hangars will have the crown in
the middle. The bid will have an option for a concrete floor.
E. Maintenance Report. R. Boudreaux said the guys have been getting ready for the mowing
season. They replaced the compressor system in the HVAC in the terminal. There has been
work on the gates. Superior's hangar door was repaired. Water hoses installed for washing
aircraft. Regular sweeping of the ramps happens monthly. The sweeper has been in the shop
and was returned just yesterday.
ITEM #4: Old Business. None.
ITEM #5: New Business.
A. Phoenix Rising Aviation lease for hangar.
A motion to approve the lease and forward on through the City's Staff
Review process was made by Dave Bowman and seconded by Frank
Sperandeo. The motion carried.
• B. Taxiway "A" Phase II and Taxiway "E" Project, 95% FAA AIP Grant and 5% State of
Arkansas Aeronautics Grant. R. Boudreaux said the FAA Grant is 95% of the project and the
State Grant is 5%. We won't be spending any local funds on the project. We need approval
from the Board to proceed, and there are several items that come with the approval: To proceed
with the FAA Grant Application; Receiving the FAA Grant; The Grant Application with the
State, Receiving the State Grant, and a Task Order to McClelland Engineers to design the
project, for construction management and for construction over -site. These items will go on to
the City Council for approval
A motion to approve the Taxiway "A" Phase II and Taxiway "E" Project and
associated items listed by Ray, was made by Bob Nickle and seconded by
David Hollman. The motion carried.
C. Discussion reqarding the 100' x 200' Business Hangar mentioned in the Transportation
Appropriations Bill. R. Boudreaux explained Senator Lincoln had asked what we needed to
create revenue streams. We told her hangars, and asked if she could put one million dollars in a
set aside in the Bill. It was put in the Bill, but, unfortunately no money was attached in the Bill.
Don Harris, our FAA Project Manager, originally said to put together the request, but yesterday
he told us that we didn't have a chance for funding, they are only funding safety items.
A motion to defer the item to a later time was made by Frank Sperandeo and
seconded by David Hollman. The motion carried.
• D. Self -Serve Fueling Facility marketing program. R. Boudreaux said a post card
announcing the self -serve fuel price was sent to all aircraft owners within counties of 120 miles
3
n
of Drake Field. The mailing was sent to 4,112 aircraft owners with an estimated cost of $980.00.
He said the fuel prices are also listed on AirNav and is read world wide. J. Nicholson said the
• printed post cards were delivered to MAILCO today and will be mailed on Friday or Monday.
This is direct marketing and will get our name out there before pilots.
C. Wallace turned the floor over to Frank Sperandeo to present a marketing report. F. Sperandeo
strongly recommended following the MARS plan and he felt the MARS plan could save the
airport. M stands for Marketing, A for Activity, R for Revenue, and S for Success. He stated if
we followed MARS the activity would be up 30 to 40% by this time next year. He displayed a
United States map showing the cross country flight routes to and from major cities. Most of the
routes go over Arkansas. He related that most pilots will seek the airports with the lowest cost of
fuel. You can punch in your flight designation on AirNav and they will give you the airports
along your flight plan with the lowest cost of fuel. It also has a place where pilots can enter
comments. He handed out information from AirNav on Drake Field that goes back to March
2001, showing the comments pilots have made about Drake Field. He also proposed the airport
to take part in an ad campaign with AOPA. The cost would be $2,600 and payment would not
be due until January 2005. The ad has to be in by May 1'`. B. Nickle suggested requesting help
form the A & P Commission. R. Boudreaux said the AOPA FBO book is published every two
years and some of the information is incorrect and needs updated. V. DeCoster said all the
information can be updated online, and most pilots look it up online, rather than using the book.
He suggested using the money to update the airport's website. Following discussion, C. Wallace
thanked Mr. Sperandeo and stated the ad would be discussed at the next Strategic Planning
Meeting.
• E. Tower Benefit/Cost Analysis discussion. C. Wallace stated the item would be deferred to a
later Board meeting, it had already been discussed today.
ITEM #6: Other Business.
A. Items from the Public. None.
B. Items from the Airport Board. F. Sperandeo mentioned airport maintenance.
C. Presentation to Arkansas Air Museum. Dave Bowman presented an American Eagle
award from the NW Arkansas Community College to the Arkansas Air Museum. Judy
Hammond, Museum Director, accepted the award and expressed her appreciation. She discussed
AirFest, some AirFest acts, and displayed the new Tee Shirt for AirFest.
C. Wallace announced the Young Eagles event is scheduled for May 8`h, and also announced the
Tenant BarBQue on the airport's east ramp will be on May 8`h, adding they needed volunteers for
the mid-day cookout. Information will be sent in the next billing.
Meeting Adjourned at 3:45.
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