HomeMy WebLinkAboutAirMinutes_2006_08_17Brookings Airport Board
August 17, 2006
Brookings, SD 57006
A meeting of the Brookings Airport Board was called to order by Chairperson Robb Sexauer
at 3:30 PM on Thursday, August 17, 2006, at the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Building
at the Brookings Regional Airport. Members present were Jeff Boulware, Jim Bailey, Harry Forsyth,
Harrison Thompson, and Robb Sexauer. Also present were TSA representative Bob Lehman, Roger
Prunty, Jim Christophersen, City Engineer Jackie Lanning, and Airport Manager Patrick Dame.
Item #2 – Motion to approve the minutes from the July 6, 2006 meeting. All present voted aye.
MOTION CARRIED.
Item #3 – (Bailey/Thompson) Motion to approve the agenda. All present voted aye. MOTION
CARRIED.
Item #4 – The next meeting is scheduled for September 21, 2006.
Item #5 Old Business
AWOS Update – Airport Manager Patrick Dame said that Navaids had called and that all the
AWOS equipment will be updated, and Brookings will be the first. The parts are here and should be
installed soon. Dame said, hopefully, there won’t need to be a full shut down. Dame added that the
components will be updated and that he had been working on with our congressional members to
get our AWOS fixed.
Item #6 - New Business
Tour of the ARFF Building – The tour will take place at the end of the meeting.
Review of the Certification Inspection – Dame mailed copies to the Board members. Smaller items
will be tackled immediately, and many have been fixed. Bigger items including crack repair will take
longer to correct. Another issue is the rock exposure and pop outs of the pavement. The city is
working with the FAA and the city’s consultants on the asphalt condition and solutions for the
pavement. Funds may be available to help in fixing the problem areas. A full mill and a new porous
friction course would be $750,000. FAA wants to know what the city wants to do. Boulware asked
how long the runway would be shut down for the correction process. Dame said possibly a week.
Brookings has a deadline of November 30 to fix the pavement. A rejuvenator coat could be added
which would cost approximately $150,000, and it would need to be determined how long it would
last. Another issue is the fencing. However, FAA is not willing to fund that project which would
cost $800,000 for the ten-foot high fence. The fencing is not as large an issue as the paving, but
projects need to be prioritized. Boulware asked when a decision would be made. Dame said
Washington will decide if Watertown will receive their funding, and that will decide what Brookings
may receive. Sexauer asked when the porous friction coat was last done. Lanning thought it was
around 1991. Dame said that Brookings is also trying to find out what can be done to get funding to
fix the wiring problems to repair the lights and signs. Also needed is a wind cone, which will cost
approximately $8,000. Progress is being made on the taxiway repairs. However, Brookings may need
to ask for a time extension. Also noted in the inspection were the sewage ponds. It was suggested
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that they be eliminated because they attract birds. Sexauer asked how that would affect Brookings
Municipal Utilities. Lanning thought they would have to be relocated. One reason improvements are
listed on the certification inspection is to help get funds for the work.
Air Show – Dame said he would like to have an air show, as it would be great for the Brookings
airport. SDSU, the airport, and aviation would all be promoted. He suggests a committee be formed
to discuss it. Sexauer liked the idea. Bailey asked who would pay for the fuel for the planes in the air
show. Dame said corporate sponsorships could be looked into. He would like to have plane rides
available. Bailey added that Big Sioux Aviation had talked about having a fly-in when their hangar is
finished. Bailey felt a full air show would be quite expensive, and maybe a smaller fly-in would work
just as well. Boulware said the best time would be in April or May of 2007. He suggested combining
an aviation day with an air show. Kids could tour the planes, and an air show could take place in the
evening. SDSU students in the aviation program could be volunteers in the afternoon. He added
that it would take lots of good planning. Dame agreed. He said it would be excellent to have some
good promotion for aviation.
(Boulware/Forsyth) Motion to nominate Harry Thompson to chair the committee for
planning a summer 2007 air show. All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED.
This item will continue to appear on the monthly agenda.
Site Selection Review – Dame said the consultants have worked on a site selection. A meeting of the
Dual Track Committee was postponed so more data could be collected. The consultants have
located seven (7) potential sites. The sites cannot be close to a landfill. The Dual Track Committee
will meet in the coming weeks. Two site alternatives will be chosen. Then an environmental study
will be conducted. Tim Pugh, an environmentalist, will work with the city. Dame said the FAA is
pushing very hard on this issue. Sexauer asked if the City Council would make the ultimate decision.
Dame said yes. The Dual Track Committee will also provide input on the public’s perspective.
Bailey said he recently visited with an engineer from a town that built a 5,000 foot runway for their
airport, and the FAA paid for 95% of the project. Dame said the FAA will not contribute to
Brookings’ compliance issues. Our discretionary cap would be ten million dollars. The FAA is
possibly willing to fund ten million dollars because Brookings is behind other cities of the same size.
Our magnitude is different than other airports. Dame was asked if the sewage ponds make our
rating less. And he said yes.
Item #7 - Airport Manager’s Report
Dame distributed a wind turbine handout. The closest wind turbine is six miles from the airport.
One issue of concern is that radio signals pick up the power. The wind towers may be 300 feet high
and six miles from the airport, but they must file a 7460 form. Dame said he has responded to 101
of them. FAA has determined them to not be a hazard. Some turbines may be built in early spring,
and there are around 140. Boulware asked if the wind sites are near the proposed airport sites. Dame
said they are within three miles. The consultants will study the issue.
Chosen for the Essential Air Service (EAS) for Brookings was Great Lakes. The decision was based
on money and basically the second half of the contract. Our congressional delegates wrote letters on
Brookings’ behalf, and it still didn’t help. October 1 will be the start of the new service. Dame said
he is already seeing Mesa cancellations. He added that we may also see diminished service. The new
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route will go from Brookings, to Pierre, to Denver. The other flight maybe Aberdeen, to Pierre, to
Denver. Sexauer asked what Brookings’ alternative was. Dame said according to Dennis DeVaney,
we can’t fight it. They don’t want to debate the issue of where they measure 210 miles. Dame said
we need to work with the Governor’s office and the congressional delegates. Sexauer stated that the
Governor had a patrol car measure the distance, and it was close to 214 miles. Dame felt Brookings
should give Great Lakes a try and may even find the pricing is good between Brookings and Pierre.
Boulware said SDSU probably flies 25 to 30 people to Pierre for the Board of Regent’s Meetings.
Dame felt making 6,000 passengers may be hard to do. Boulware felt if our increased boardings plus
the legislators actively working for Brookings would help our situation. There may also be
reinstatement with the Vision 100. Boulware asked what would be the difference with or without
EAS in the criteria for moving the runway. Dame said all the planning does not have to do with
EAS. It would affect having the fire fighters on duty that the City pays for. If we got rid of our Part
139 certificate, we could downsize maintenance. Also, the SDSU charters will not fly in Brookings
without the Part 139 status. On the budget side, the terminal building would be empty so there
would be less maintenance. The city staffs the ARFF station, which would be lost. Overall, it would
probably come out even. The Part 139 certification would help on the capital end of service and
would hold the airport to a higher standard.
Item 8 – FBO Report
No one was present from the FBO.
Item #9 - TSA Report
Bob Lehman said TSA has had a busy week. Many items are still restricted on an airplane, and they
are still monitoring the changes carefully. He said 70 people have been through so far this month.
Shoes must now be removed, and carry on luggage is restricted for liquids. Cell phones are still
permitted on the plane as are laptops. He said he also has a new employee.
Item #10 – Air Carrier Report
No one was present from the Mesa Airlines.
The meeting was adjourned.
________________________________ ___________________________
Jackie Lanning, Acting Secretary Robb Sexauer, Chairperson
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