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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-01-13 Minutes• • • • MINUTES OF THE FAYETTEVILLE AIRPORT BOARD January 13, 2005 MEMBERS PRESENT: Charles Wallace, Frank Sperandeo, Otto Loewer, Janice Stanesic, David Holtman MEMBERS ABSENT: Dave Bowman STAFF PRESENT: Mayor Dan Coody, Ray Boudreaux, James Nicholson, Louise Powers OTHERS PRESENT: Derald Linn -Arkansas Air Museum, Rick McKinney -Arkansas Air Museum, Frank Burggraf-former Airport Board Member, Terry Collier -tenant, Robert H. Dean -Aviation Maintenance Professionals, Neal Bilbe-Fayetteville Govemment Channel, K. R. Schossow-Wings Avionics, Inc. ITEM #1: Welcome and Agenda Review- Chairman Wallace. Chairman Wallace welcomed everyone to the first meeting in 2005. He stated all Board members are present except Dave Bowman who is involved with his teaching duties today. He welcomed Board Emeritus Frank Burggraf to the meeting. A. Review by the Chairman. Chairman Wallace stated the agenda is different today as we will have the election of officers later in the meeting and the Mayor will be here a little later. He announced today would be his last meeting on the Airport Board (membership term expired). B. Comments from the Public. None. ITEM #2: Minutes of the December 2, 2004 meeting. Chairman Wallace asked to defer approval of the minutes to the next meeting as the Secretary was not here today. ITEM #3: Receiving of Reports. Chairman Wallace asked that his report be moved to later in the meeting and said they had a special guest today. Former Airport Board Chairman Rick McKinney, now Chairman of the Arkansas Air Museum, introduced their new Director, Derald Linn. Chairman Wallace commented on the new graphics in museum's newsletter. 13. Ray Boudreaux, Director. Director Boudreaux stated his Annual Report is in the agenda and briefly touched on some of the items. The USPS (Post Office) plans to move in around January 28th and open February ls`. They are working on approval from the City for a sign on the highway and they have the sign for in front of the building. Jeff Collins, U. of A. College of Business, has started on the Airport's Economic Impact Study. Director Boudreaux reported he had talked with Don Harris, the Airport's FAA 1 • • • • Project Manager, about the Airport's Five Year Plan that was drafted by the Airport Board. The FAA was favorable towards items #1, #3 and #4, the Master Plan, parking apron and improvements to the airport entrance. He reported the Airport will receive some discretionary money. Item #2, the service road to the Forest Service area, wasn't received favorably and he would visit with the Forest Service about them funding the road. The other items we will do out of Airport Funds. Professor Loewer (wife of Board Member Otto Loewer) has picked up the plans of the terminal building for her class to review. The Plane Good Restaurant's first month's rental payment was $365.00. They think the second month was 30% better. We had a meeting with Barnard and Dunkleburg who are sub -contractors of McClelland Engineers. They will be working on the Airport Master Plan. R. McKinney reminded the Board the work on the Air Museum's sprinkler system is work on a City owned building (one of the Airport's Five Year projects). C. James Nicholson, Financial Coordinator. He reported the year end FBO operations had been slightly ahead of last year's. He thought it was time to consider finding our niche in aviation, to pin -point our clients, focus on our clients that purchase the most fuel. Responding to C. Wallace, yes it does sound like direct marketing. It would take time, money, and additional personnel. Fuel sales are tied to the operations. For year 2003 the operations were 43,866, and for year 2004 they were 45,237. Fuel sold in 2003 was 366,979 gallons, and in 2004 it was 371,361 gallons. We didn't lose ground as many other airports did. F. Sperandeo asked that they keep in mind that he still believed the airport could be the leader, and to come up with some ideas to beat others' price to capture the market and up the sales here. J. Nicholson said the operations in 1998, when the airlines were here, was 55,778. Our business has picked up some from the ballgame charters, and said that Ray had spent a lot of time on the phone to convince them to come here. Not all the finance numbers were in from the City's Accounting Office, and some of the 2004 revenues haven't been posted yet. The ending funds on 12-31-04 were slightly ahead of $1,000,000, which was our goal. Chairman Wallace commented that he appreciated the stabilized reporting system. D. T -Hangar Report, Louise Powers. All the T -Hangars and storage units are rented. We did have two turnovers and still have waiting lists for the twin, single T -Hangars and storage units. The FBO had 10 monthly tenants and 3 that spend half -a -month at a time in the FBO hangar. There were several times during the month the FBO hangar was completely filled. Director Boudreaux said several nights when there was bad weather we had permission to use one of the hangars up the field for aircraft storage. E. Construction Report. Director Boudreaux said the final inspection on Taxiway A is scheduled for next week. The lights have been tested and are operating. On Phase II, Taxiway E, all the pavement is in, but the airfield signs have not come in. He told of insisting the contractors double check the elevation of the piers on the new T -Hangar and six needed to be adjusted higher. The Change Order is almost complete to add an oil resistant compound on the floor of the U. of A. hangar. F.Sperandeo said he had not seen any repairs made to the porus drain by T -Hangar G. Director Boudreaux said the project had been completed and inspected. He related he sat in the rain yesterday and watched it work. T -Hangar G-5 door doesn't close completely, and it should be repaired today. 2 • • • • • F. Maintenance Report. Director Boudreaux high -lighted some of the projects staff had been working on during the last month. The beacon light went out and is being repaired today. Regarding the lights on Lancaster, staff ran out of materials and more has been ordered. They repaired the safety bar on the fork lift. The roof leaks in the restaurant had been repaired. We are contracting the repairs to the skylight to stop leaks in the terminal lobby. They had started installing the secunty signs on the fence, starting south of the terminal. Staff has started a sweeping program, (will sweep after each rain). F. Sperandeo said he had two projects that he wanted to introduce for the Board's consideration. Number One: A brand new door opening system, which would be an above ground unit to open the gate (T -Hangar gate). He said he had flown into three airports in Maryland and they all had the same system and they worked well. They did not have a seeing eye. Number Two: To have the entrance completed where buses can tum around on the pavement, a general reconstruction of the entrance. He wanted to find out from Wayne Jones (McClelland Engineers) when we could get started, and about the money allocation. Chairman Wallace said that was already in the minutes, in Ray's report, it will be part of the apron project. ITEM #4: Old Business. A. Fuel and Line Service RFP Status Report. Chairman Wallace said B. Nickle is on the Selection Committee. B. Nickle said he had met with Peggy Vice (City's Purchasing Officer) and reported the boiler plate information required by the City had been added to the RFP and it has been advertised. After the deadline, the proposals will be reviewed by City Staff and an Airport Representative. Director Boudreaux, answering C. Wallace, said it was advertised locally, it was also placed on the AOPA website, it was sent to several large FBO's, and it was distributed locally on the field. J. Nicholson said they had several inquiries from several people that work with large fuel companies asking for a copy and they were going to distribute them also. B. Nickle explained the City only wants one Airport Board member on the Selection Committee. Director Boudreaux explained that after the City's Selection Committee reviews the proposals, they may ask for some of the companies to come and make a presentation. Those on the committee are Steve Davis (City Director of Finance and Internal Services), Gary Dumas (City Director of Operations), Peggy Vice (City Purchasing Manager), Bob Nickle (Airport Board Member), and himself (Ray Boudreaux). R. McKinney said there is not someone that knows aviation on the committee, and Chairman Wallace said there is not a potential user on the committee. Some comments were made about only one Airport Board Member being on the committee, and F. Sperandeo said it was an open meeting and he would be there. B. Nickle said they would review the proposals and cull those that did not meet the requirements. Mayor Dan Coody said he had some experience with the City's Selection Committees and if there were two Airport Board Members there, or on the committee, then it would become a Public Meeting. He explained that when companies of private enterprise are being compared, some companies don't want their proposals, their numbers, their information, made available to everyone (in a Public Meeting). After the top three companies have been selected then there is another process the City goes through. 3 • • • B. Electrical Upgrade for T -Hangars A, B, C and D Status Report. Chairman Wallace reviewed the process the project had gone through to date. It went out to bid and no bids were received. At the last Board Meeting Mr. Consul was here and explained why he did not bid. Several meetings were held to discuss whether the project had been over -engineered He thanked F. Sperandeo for meeting with the City's Inspector. The Board also had a Strategic Planning Meeting this week to discuss the design with McClelland Engineers. After all the meetings it was decided the plans were not in excess of the code the City requires. The code the City requires is not in excess of the National code. Asking why it cost that much, it's basically because all the contractors are busy, it is not a big job, and not an attractive job. All these questions did get the Board members involved. F. Sperandeo did come up with a different type of switch that could be used. We may be able to back down some of the cost and then it will have to go out for bids again. Chairman Wallace said that having the Board members involved in the planning was good, not that there was distrust involved, we just wanted to be involved. He commented the project will still remain on the table and it will need to come back before the Board at the next meeting. Director Boudreaux stated the project is in the Budget for this year. He reported the State Aeronautics said the project would be eligible for a 50/50 grant. F. Sperandeo asked Ray to check to see if the Airport could get a 90/10 grant. ITEM #5: New Business. None. ITEM #6: Other Business. A. Items from the Public. None. B. Items from the Board. Chairman Wallace told of the self -serve fueling being inoperable over the holidays and customers were told they would have to buy to fuel at the off -the -truck price. He asked for that to be an item for the next agenda. The item was discussed by the Board, focusing on the customer that complained on AirNAV, no service, delayed service and the price of fuel. Director Boudreaux said he had already talked with the person that complained on AirNAV, had sent him a letter of apology along with an airport cap. The others customers that are based on the field we have identified and the cost of the fuel they purchased has been reduced to equal the self -serve price. The other customers we haven't been able to identify. He reported corrective actions have been put in place. F. Sperandeo asked the Airport Board to authorize offering the person complaining on AirNAV a full tank of gas, and he would contact him personally with the offer, and we should ask him to put on AirNAV what we have done. F. Sperandeo also related the person had reported he had to be on the ground for three hours. 0. Loewer said he thought they should all be treated equally, not just reward the one that was the most vocal. There may have been others that had similar experiences. Chairman Wallace said he thought there were ten customers on Christmas Day and there were ten or the following day. There were several local customers, including him. Mayor Dan Coody asked for a letter to be drafted for his signature to be sent out. Chairman Wallace asked for a report of this item to be placed on the agenda for the next Board Meeting. Director Boudreaux said there were names on the credit card machine but no addresses. R. McKinney suggested getting the "N" numbers from the tower and then look them up on the FAA website. Director Boudreaux further explained regards the person that had complained on AirNAV, saying he had sent him a letter, an Airport cap, and offered him a free tank of fuel. We will send him another letter from the Mayor. 4 • • If he brings that letter back he gets a free tank of gas. He goes cross country a couple of time a year from California. i • O. Loewer asked if an item could be placed on the agenda each month for a report from Professor Loewer's class. It is a wonderful opportunity and will give us considerable food for thought. The students are not restricted by reality or past history, they can ask questions, and they are very creative. Their report will provide ample opportunity for publicity for the students and for the Airport. Chairman Wallace asked that the minutes show the request, and the report would become Item G under reports. ITEM #3: Receiving of Reports. A. Charles Wallace, Chairman. Stated he had a few things to say. He asked they remember who they are, to remember the (Airport's) Mission Statement, and their community service to the aviation community. He said he had heard the real money is in the big planes, but to remember the little folks on the other side of the field. They pay property tax and hangar rent. They make one-half of the Airport's revenue. Remember the whole aviation community, big and little. To embrace what may have seemed as the enemy for a long time, change. He reflected on many world changes that have happened during the past fifteen years, and also on changes locally. Things, that if he had told you many years ago they would happen, you wouldn't have believed it. He mentioned the good things that had come from those changes. We must learn to accept change, if we try to control it, if we try to stifle it, we will miss the mark. He said it was his hope that those at the table keep going and don't let your fears hold you back. Live in our dreams, and look forward to what you can make this. We have come a long way. ITEM # 7: New Board Structure. A. Welcome new Board Member Vaughn DeCoster. Chairman Wallace reported that Mr. DeCoster regretted he couldn't make his first meeting, but he had told us way back that he had a meeting already scheduled out of town on this day. We welcome him to the Board. B. Election of Officer. Chairman Wallace stated the Board needed to elect a new Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary. It can happen one of two ways, a motion to approve the slots of officers, or nominate them one by one. He opened the floor to nominations. David Hollman nominated those listed below for the new officers, F. Sperandeo proposed closing the nominations and to accept the nominations. David Hollman seconded the motion. Chairman Wallace indicated those nominated were willing to serve. The motion carried with the following elected as Airport Board Officers. Bob Nickle Chairman Janice Stanesic Vice Chairman Dave Bowman Secretary Chairman Nickle announced Mayor Coody had a few words to say. Mayor Coody thanked Doc Wallace for serving on the Board, saying Charles Wallace is a friend of the Airport. He also expressed his appreciation to all of the Board. He then proceeded to 5 • • read the Proclamation which proclaimed January 13, 2005 as Charles "Doc" Wallace Day (copy attached as part of the minutes). Chairman Nickle, stated that in recognition of Doc's long service on the Airport Board, Ray and the fellow Board Members wanted to present him a wooden model of Doc's aircraft, except the model hadn't come in on time for the meeting. The model will be a carved model of Doc's plane, painted in the colors of his plane. Chairman Nickle announced the meeting would adjourn, and there was cake in honor of Doc Wallace. Dave Bowm , Secretary Date 6