HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-11-12 Minutes• FAYETTEVILLE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT BOARD MEETING
November 12, 2009
MEMBERS PRESENT: Bob Nickle, Janice Stanesic, Tim McCarley, Vaughn
DeCoster, Richard Greene
MEMBERS ABSENT: Otto Loewer, David Hollman
STAFF PRESENT: Ray Boudreaux, James Nicholson, Louise Powers
OTHERS PRESENT: Frou Gallagher -City Government Chanel; Cathy Hollingsworth -
U of A grad student; Warren Jones -Ark. Air Museum; Wayne Jones -McClelland
Consulting Engineers; Skip Descont-Northwest Ark. Times; Terry Gulley -City of
Fayetteville
ITEM #1: Chairman. Chairman Nickle gave a belated thank you for all our veterans
working on the Airport and using the Airport.
ITEM #2 : Approval of the Airport Board Minutes of the October 15, 2009 meeting.
A motion to approve the minutes, with the spelling correction of Bob Nickle's name
• was made by Tim McCarley and seconded by Vaughn DeCoster. The motion
carried.
ITEM #3: Receiving of Reports.
A. Director Boudreaux, report on Airport Activity. Said he had recently attended
the Arkansas Airport Operators Association Conference (AAOA) in Eureka Springs. The
airport people are saying the downward trend is 30% and its industry wide, although the
NBA President said it is beginning to show an increase in used corporate aircraft sales,
and passenger miles shows a slight increase. Stated he had been working on the
acquisition of the property for the Runway 16 Safety Project, and have closed on the
Super Stop and Standard Register property. Working with the Kearney/Cooper Industries
for an easement and we will all meet with the Arkansas Department of Environmental
Quality in Little Rock next week. We have assured them there will not be any buildings
on the easement, just an easement with grass. Reported there is now internet and a
computer available in the Pilots Briefing Room on the eastside hangar complex.
B. Financial Coordinator James Nicholson, report on FBO and Budget. The chart
for the last two years shows an upward trend of all aircraft that use the airport. Our
operations were ahead of last year up through July. Regarding the fuel prices, seems all
the local airports are starting to inch up their prices, we have held our prices the same for
the last several months. Director Boudreaux said that October was the fourth wettest
month in Fayetteville's record keeping. James, referencing the Airport's finances, said
staff is still doing good holding down expenses. The Cash Balance is $845,896, but need
• to subtract the fire insurance payment of $350,000. Rent for the empty Tech School
facility was not factored into the Airport's projected budget. If it is rented that will be a
plus.
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• C. Louise Powers, report on T -Hangars. There are two twin hangars and one single
engine hangar available. It was suggested putting an ad in the newspaper. Also
suggested was giving an incentive, one month free rent if would commit to one year; the
discussion was delayed until after the T -Hangar rent item on the agenda.
D. Engineer Wayne Jones report on Construction projects. Commented that not
much construction work had taken place in October, as there had been eleven inches of
rain. They are working on a culvert in areas of the old trailer park and there have been a
few places of buried debris. They have the storm drainage pipe on site ready to start
installing. Next month they will be working on the pump station south of Standard
Register. All Highway Department permits have been approved. One thing that will
effect the project budget is the locating of additional utility lines; the City didn't locate a
line to the Scurlock business, the City had thought it was a private line, and relocating a
Cox line, an AT&T line, and a gas service line on Short Street. The Grant has $125,000
for utilities and if we don't use it all, it can be used towards the land acquisitions, and we
can ask for up to 15% grant adjustment. Director Boudreaux stated the FAA had asked
we do a drawdown every month, if we don't then we have to issue a Stop Work. Wayne
said sixteen payrolls have been submitted already, and invited the Board Members to stop
to look at the project after the meeting. The scheduled completion date is mid-August,
but it could go into September. The Highway Department is wanting more land for a
drainage easement and we are negotiating with Standard Register for the easement.
E. Museum reports. Warren gave an update on Matt Younkin's condition: He had
surgery Tuesday night; he had a gash on his leg, broken nose, an orbital bone fracture
• with small pieces of bone in his eye. He will see a specialist in Little Rock next Tuesday.
His plane had a problem with the fuel injector and he had picked out a field to land in, but
clipped power line coming down. The B-17 was here on October 26`h. They flew forty
people, more than on their tour stop the previous weekend. They were pleased and
surprised with the area's local restaurants. We have them already booked for next year.
It was interesting to listen to the veterans' re -actions to seeing the plane, and to hear them
talk about their, and their relatives experiences with the plane. Said he got to fly it eight
minutes on the trip to Tulsa. The EAA cadets got to work the event. Installed brushes on
the hangar doors and it will prevent the wind coming through the cracks in the winter;
expect it to cut the heating bill by 70%. Thanks to Marilyn Heifner with the A & P
Commission for the $5,300.00 grant for the brushes. We will have a helicopter in the
Christmas parade, Joe Dunn will pull it on a 16 ft trailer.
F. Maintenance Report. Leon and his crew have been working on the ramp and
parking lot lights, replaced some door seals on some of the T -Hangars, replaced a door
motor on one of the older hangars, relocated the fire extinguishers at the fuel farm, a
request from the Fire Marshall, it was too close to the possible source of the fire.
ITEM #4: Old Business. None.
ITEM #5: New Business.
A. Discussion: 2010 Capital Projects/grant projects. In July we applied to the State
Aeronautics for a grant for a new security system for the Airport; and it was denied for
• lack of funds. The City did approve $180,000 for the system. To get started we would
need to spend $20,000 to $25,000 of our money to have the Specs written and get bids.
Before we had four proposals, all were slightly different. McClelland Engineers has a
company they partner with that does that kind of work. The Airport is still classified as a
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• Part 139 Airport and has higher criteria than most general aviation airports. The new
security cameras are much smaller now. Our beacon needs to be replaced; know of a
company that sells refurbished beacons, they take in the old beacon on trade and
refurbishes it and sells it to someone else. It has a 36 inch lense. That cost will be about
$10,000. We will comeback to the Board for approval of these projects.
B. Discussion: T -hangar rent increase. Referencing his memo in the agenda packet,
last year was the normal time to have discussed increasing the rent and the Board's
decision was to not increase the rent that year. If we have an increase it would begin in
January 2010. Richard Green said it had been discussed three years ago with the tenants
and it was okay with them to wait two years, it now has been three years.
A motion was made by Vaughn DeCoster and seconded by Richard Greene to
increase the T -hangar rent to the proposed rates, increasing the twin hangars by
$15.00 and the single engine units by $10.00. The motion carried.
C. Discussion: Fuel Flowage increase. Flowage fee is currently ten cents per gallon
pm every gallon delivered to the Airport and would like to suggest that when we have the
FBO lease negotiations next year that it to be increased to fifteen cents. The City of
Roger is considering raising theirs from ten cents to fifteen cents. Approving an increase
can be done anytime. The flowage fee is added on to the cost of gas.
D. Airport Budget for 2010. James said the budget process was swift, we were to have
• a balanced budget. One big change is the Director's salary is all coming out of the
Airport's budget, before it was 50% out of Economic Development. The budget is
$37,000 less than 2009's budget. We have even cut office supplies in half and reduced
the ARFF training budget. The utilities are experiencing some saving, with the new
lights, the cost of fuel has gone down, and promotions were eliminated. All departments
in the City are hurting. Our biggest goal in the future is to get more sources in revenue.
Washington County will be charging a special assessment on corporate hangars, we will
pay in October 2010 for 2009 and it may only be for a partial year. We may have to pass
that tax along to the tenants. Chairman Nickle asked Ray to check with other airports
already being assessed and see how they are handling that problem. If we were to get a
tenant for the former Tech School hangar that would solve our problems. We did not put
that rent into the budgeted rent. Staff explained the Fire Department got their ARFF
firemen trained at National Guard Unit at the Fort Smith Airport for a discounted fee.
U
A
motion was made by
Janice Stanesic to approve the
Airport Budget and forward
to
the City
Council and
seconded by Vaughn DeCoster.
The motion carried.
ITEM #6: Other Business.
A. Items from the Public. None.
B. Items from the Airport Board. Board Consensus: To move the time of the Airport
Board Meeting to 1:30
David Hollman, Secretary Date
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