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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-04-08 Minutes• MINUTES FAYETTEVILLE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT BOARD MEETING April 8, 2009 MEMBERS PRESENT, Bob Nickle, David Hollman, Tim McCarley, Otto Loewer MEMBERS ABSENT: Janice Stanesic, Richard Greene, Vaughn DeCoster AIRPORT STAFF PRESENT: Ray Boudreaux, James Nicholson, Louise Powers OTHERS PRESENT: Tyrone Rogers -Fayetteville Government Channel; Wayne Jones - McClelland Consulting Engineers; Roger Woolsey, Blaise Sharkey and MaryKathryn Floyd -Million Air; Mark Frankum-SkyVenture Aviation; Terry Lawson -Fayetteville Fire Department; Warren Jones -Arkansas Air Museum; Russell Smith -Flying Investments ITEM #1. Welcome — Chairman Bob Nickle. A. Comments from the public on items on the agenda. None. ITEM #2. Receiving of Reports. A. Chairman Nickle. Chairman Nickle explained the March minutes would be approved at the May meeting. Said they would have Wayne's report next. • E. Engineer Wayne Jones, report on construction projects. The City Council approved at their meeting last night the contract to re -do the controls for the HVAC system in the terminal. It will be Friday before the Mayor will be able to sign the contract. The contractors will visit with each business to discuss working in their area, as to disrupt business as little as possible. Director Boudreaux stated the project must be completed and paid by July 1'` to received State Aeronautics funding. Wayne reported on the Public Hearing for the Runway Safety Area. Public comments were taken and written comments will be taken for two weeks. Those comments will be addressed, and then the final report will be submitted to the FAA. Depending on how much grant money will be available, we can let the dirt work, paving Highway 71, or let the work on Lancaster Drive begin. The advertisement date for bidding the relocation of Highway 71 project will be Friday. We will try to keep the prices good for as long a time as possible. Pre-bid meeting will be April 21". Bids will be due at 11:00 a.m. on April 28`h. Maps for the land acquisition should be ready by the middle of next week, for Standard Register, Kearney's and the Super Stop. B. Director Boudreaux, report on airport activity. The Runway Safety Area project will be paid ninety-five percent by the FAA and five percent by the State Aeronautics, with no expenditures from the Airport. Talked this morning with the people from the proposed repair station, they asked for a copy of the lease to send to their finance company. A Fare to Remember landed a catering job to feed the U of A football team every three weeks. Said he and Robin Peltan had met with people from the NW Arkansas Institute about establishing an A & P School. Other A & P schools in Arkansas • are expanding and the one in NW Arkansas is closing down. C. Financial Coordinator Nicholson, report on FBO and Budget. Gave a slide presentation of the charts in the agenda. Reported there has been a 15 percent increase in • operations this quarter compared to the first quarter in 2008. Fuel sales reflect a 3.3 percent decrease over the first quarter in 2008. Regarding the financial report, we are doing our best to hold down expenses. The bottom line cash balance is basically the same as last month. D. Senior Secretary Powers, report on T -Hangar Leases. All T -Hangar units and storage units are rented. F. Museum Reports. Warren Jones said the Museum has approved moving the entire Ray Ellis Collection to the University. They will put everything on film, and items already in folders will be placed in acid free folders. The second Kite Fest will be on May 2"d. They expect a crowd of 400 people. The museum has been given an experimental plane, the museum will refinish the plane and more than likely re -sell the plane for the revenue. Master gardeners from Washington County have been working every other Saturday on the flower beds at the front of the museum. We are still in talks with Ozark Military Museum to merge with the Arkansas Air Museum, in this day and time it makes sense to have one entity. Working with Wal-Mart to have their stock holders tour the museum during their annual stock holders meeting, possibly 500 people a day. There would be a special interest, seeing Sam Walton's first plane. Chairman Nickle suggested visiting with the bus charter company in the terminal about bringing charters up from Fort Smith to the Air Museum. G. Maintenance Report. They have been working on water valve replacements, repaired the parking lot lights, cleaned the lot, repaired a leak in the chilled water line, installed new electric for Rose of Sharon's new area for her cooler, replaced filters in the terminal, and repaired the winter erosion around the runway and taxiways. • ITEM #3. Old Business. A. Million Air presentation by Roger Woolsey. Explained he is President of Million Air. He expressed his appreciation for getting to come formally before the Airport Board. Million Air came to the Airport in 2005 and there was some resistance, some thinking, big name -big prices. We worked very hard to portray who we were. The most important first mile of the City is the Airport. The movers and shakers that come in by private aircraft land at this airport, they used to land at another airport but now come here. We promised an upgrade of equipment, and esthetics, which has taken place. Spoke of service, that Million Air is the ambassador to the community and for the Airport. Safety, we had the Blue Angels work with staff to train them. We enjoy the partnership with the Board, with Mark and the school, and you have the best Airport Manager. We've worked really hard together to grow the reputation of the Airport, to bring in new customers. Million Air is in twenty-seven cities, with one thousand -five hundred employees, and negotiating for two new locations,. Million Air has spent over one million dollars at trade shows to raise awareness of Million Air. We were recently featured on Smart Business. Fayetteville is the prefect fuel stop for traveling cross- country. This last month he said he had worked tirelessly and traveled back and forth to Washington DC working on getting a DESC fueling contract approved by the military. Also approved is an HURNAC (hurricane evacuation) with the Department of Defense to relocate to Fayetteville. That would be a big increase, a big impact to the Airport and Fayetteville; we worked with the hotels for rooms for 300 people. We have a lot of • concrete here to handle a lot of planes. Said he began in aviation working here at Drake Field as a line tech for Aero Tech's FBO, that he is a pilot, owning a Bonanza and a Barron. Million Air has worked hard to bring in the jet traffic to off -set the weekend 2 • flier. Halberton now stops here on their cross-country flights. On the negative side, Million Air is operating in the red and we are glad the Board has agreed to consider giving some sort of financial consideration in rents as Million Air has taken a hit. Pointed out that in the last few weeks he had spent one-quarter of a million dollars getting this location approved with the Department of Defense, and not one penny spent was allocated to this base. One percent of Million Air Fayetteville's budget is allocated for advertising and overhead. He asked the Board to consider them as a partner and not a vender, we don't plan to be here just another year, we want to be here twenty-five or more years. We do want to be profitable Playing the role of an ambassador, we take part in the role of business development, we play the role of bringing awareness of the Airport and Fayetteville, but not receiving any consideration for that. He requested comments. Chairman Nickle said the Board was shy a few members today, so no other decision would be made today, but appreciated Roger coming to talk to them. O. Loewer, Board Member, said just as a citizen, he appreciated Roger being here, but still wanted to have equity for all the tenants, the things he had mentioned shows how an airport reaches out to the economy of a community. Roger asked the Board to consider the product; if the product is only gas and we are only a gas station that is one thing, but we are more than that, every time Million Air open a new station it becomes part of the network, part of the corporate community. When the U. of A plane flies into another Million Air base, it is just like they are flying in home. He complimented the Airport's tower, saying they have worked with them on the HUR-VAC plans and they are prepared to meet those needs. Director Boudreaux said he appreciated Million Air's staff, they are outstanding, talented, and don't make mistakes. • ITEM #4: New Business. A. Advertise for bids for the Runway 16 Safety Area Improvement. Director Boudreaux said this had already been approved by the City Council and no further action is required. ITEM #5: Other Business. i A. Items from the public. None. B. Items from the Airport Board. Director Boudreaux called attention to the Iron Pig Duathalon taking place on Saturday. The Airport will be closed for one hour while staff walks the Runway taking pictures of the cracks and, while the runners race down the Runway. They have one -hundred -and -fifty entries registered. Chairman Nickle suggested reminding the tenants by email. That was reported already done as well as Notices placed on the T -Hangar doors. Meeting Adjourned. • � David Secretary R1 Date