HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-03-18 MinutesMINUTES
FAYETTEVILLE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT BOARD MEETING
• March 18, 2009
MEMBERS PRESENT: Bob Nickle, Otto Loewer, David Hollman, Janice Stanesic, Tim McCarley
MEMBERS ABSENT: Vaughn DeCoster, Richard Greene
STAFF PRESENT: Ray Boudreaux, Louise Powers
OTHERS PRESENT: Tyrone Rogers -Fayetteville Government Channel, Robin Mero-NW Arkansas
Times, Blaise Sharkey -Million Air Fayetteville, Terry Gulley and Don Marr -City of Fayetteville, Skip
Descant -Morning News, Mark Frankum-SkyVenture Aviation
ITEM #1: Welcome — Chairman Bob Nickle. Welcomed Terry Gulley, Head of the Transportation
Department of the City of Fayetteville, Ray now reports to Terry.
A. Comments from the public on items on the agenda. None.
ITEM # 2: Minutes of the February 11. 2009 meeting.
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Tim McCarley and seconded by Otto Loewer. The
motion carried. L
ITEM #3: Receiving of Reports.
A. Chairman Nickle. None.
B. Director Boudreaux, report on airport activity. February operations were up compared to January.
• Normally February numbers are up because of the sports teams' charters. Offered thanks to Million Air.
Reported attending the FAA Conference last week. This Airport did not qualify for the Stimulus money
because our Public Meeting had not taken place, although Don Harris our project manager, said possibly
some Stimulus money may be available later. They said to expect 2.4 million to be available after May,
and we need to have our projects ready for the Safety Area Project. Dirt work and grading work needs to
be ready by fall and install the pavement next spring. Reported he and Robin Pelton of the NWEDD had
met with George of the NW Tech Institute regarding keeping an A & P School in Northwest Arkansas for
Washington and Benton Counties. James and he met with the West Fork of the White River Committee
that is working to restore the washed-out river banks. We viewed a site near Winslow where they had
been working. There is a place back of the Airport along the river that will be one of their work sites.
We have about 30 ft. of bluff that has washed out. They will restore it with natural rock boulders, at no
cost to us. We received bids for the HAVC work and they were all above the project amount and will
have to be re -bid. We modified the documents and increased the cost amount, and will put it out for bids
again. The maximum time they will be able to spend on the project is eight weeks. Mark Frank -um
reported their area is hot in the winter, and cold in the summer, and the condensation causes their paper to
curl. Director Boudreaux said he had spoken with the client for the big hangar and they said they will
have the lease signed by the end of the month. Reported he had talked to the tower people regarding the
Cost Benefit Analysis, and we may not have to go through that process this time because the economy is
down.
C. Financial Coordinator Nicholson, report on FBO and budget. Director Boudreaux gave the report
as James is out of town. Gave a slide presentation of the charts in the agenda. Commented the overtime
for Airport personnel showed an increase because staff had to come in to manually turn on the runway
lights during the ice storm. The electric was off for a week. Thanked the City for reducing this year's
Cost Allocation expense.
• D. Senior Secretary Powers, report of T -Hangar Leases. There is one hangar empty and expect to
hear back and have it filled this week. Chairman Nickle suggested putting the hangar information on the
Airport's website.
E. Museum report. The Collections Committee has meet and the Air Museum will be disposing of 4
aircraft that does not fit the story line, and some old models made by volunteers.
F. Maintenance Report. Maintenance staff replaced lights, repaired apron lights, hangar doors, been
getting equipment ready for mowing, put a GPU plug in the Million Air hangar, repaired the hangar skin
ripped off by the hangar door, and repaired the water regulator in the maintenance shop.
ITEM #4: Old Business.
A. Rent report from Chairman Nickle, Ray Boudreaux, and James Nicholson. Chairman Nickle
reported that at the last meeting the Board assigned Ray, James and himself to look at the requests from
Million Air and SkyVenture for some rent relief. We looked at the data that they provided, both are going
through some hard times, but the Airport is in hard times, too. Answering Mr. Hellman, SkyVenture and
Million Air rent payments are both in arrears. Several Board Members questioned Million Air's report of
"Bad Debt", saying that sounded like bad management and wanted to know how it is figured, is it a
specific bad debt, or is it built into the corporation to share bad debts around with all their FBO's, saying
when the City ran the FBO there was no Bad Debt. O. Loewer said rent relief would affect our bottom
line. The City's decision will be what is best for the Airport. M. Frankum explained they had two outlets,
here and in Jonesboro. Said the number of flight schools has fallen during the last few years, because of
several reasons, the airlines are taking fewer pilots, and a problem getting student loans. Reported they
had not made a dime here, they have taken personal losses. Fayetteville is the better location. They have
recently received approval to enroll foreign students and that will only grow. The maintenance is not
materializing. O. Loewer stated we needed to sell the concept of aviation. When the school went away,
that started the tum -down, we are missing an opportunity to make a better statement. Director Boudreaux
said the industry has cut back, OAS went out of business, Wal-Mart and Tyson has cut back, there is less
need for pilots, but Aviation is still the largest export in the state. A temporary solution was discussed
until further information is received.
• A motion was made by David Hollman to approve a $500.00 reduction in rent for Million Air and
for SkyVenture Aviation for the rest of 2009, provided rent is brought to date, and paid on time,
beginning with April rent. The motion was seconded by Tim McCarley. The motion carried.
I
ITEM #5. New Business. None.
ITEM #6. Other Business.
A. Items from the Public. Chairman Nickle recognized Don Marr, Chief of Staff for the City of
Fayetteville who is in attendance today. D. Marr asked the Airport Board to participate in the Fayetteville
Forward event coming up, saying it would be important to have the aviation industry there and
participate, and said you could register on-line.
Don Marr commented the City would be reviewing the Airport's Cost Allocation in the next Budget
Process and to keep in mind there would be some changes, as to where Ray's time would be allocated,
where to centralize Economic Development. The Chief of Staff, and Terry with Transportation, jobs are
not in the allocation. They will be looking at the head count based on revenues. He mentioned an article
in the newspaper, stating that the results at the airport are contributed to Ray.
Chairman Nickle thanked Terry Gulley and Don Marr for attending the meeting.
B. Items from the Airport Board. None
David Hollman, Secretary Date