HomeMy WebLinkAboutAirMinutes_2006_09_11Brookings Airport Board
September 11, 2006
Brookings, SD 57006
A meeting of the Brookings Airport Board was called to order by Chairperson Robb Sexauer
at 3:30 PM on Monday, September 17, 2006, in the Meeting Room at City Hall. Members present
were Jeff Boulware, Jim Bailey, Harry Forsyth, Harrison Thompson, and Robb Sexauer. Also
present were LaDell Swiden, Jim Jones Sr. and Jim Jones, Jr. – Big Sioux Aviation, City Councilman
Tim Reed, Interim City Manager Dennis Falken, City Engineer Jackie Lanning, Chuck Howell and
Monica Taylor – Great Lakes Airlines, and Airport Manager Patrick Dame.
Item #2 – (Bailey/Thompson) Motion to approve the minutes from the August 17, 2006 meeting.
All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED.
Item #3 – (Boulware/Forsyth) Motion to approve the agenda. All present voted aye. MOTION
CARRIED.
Item #4 – The next meeting is scheduled for October 19, 2006.
Great Lakes Presentation – by Chuck Howell, Great Lakes Airlines CEO and Monica Taylor –
Director of Sales and Marketing for Great Lakes Airlines
The program began with a Power Point presentation on Great Lakes Airlines by Taylor.
Howell spoke and then asked for questions. Forsyth asked for an explanation of the $29
promotional ticket. Howell said that cost is when purchasing the ticket 14 days in advance, and that
is for one way. When purchasing the ticket 3 days in advance, the cost is $49. When purchasing the
ticket 72 hours in advance, the ticket is $39, and when walking up to purchase the ticket upon
departure, the cost is $59. These prices are available on their
website only. He said those prices will be valid now, but he did not know how long they would last.
He added that the flight goes on to Denver, and the Denver airport is an excellent airport, and it is
very easy to get around in. Councilman Tim Reed asked what their plans were for marketing in
Brookings. Howell said they will take their direction from the community. He said newspaper,
television, radio, billboards, visibility, and handshaking can all be done. Interim City Manager Dennis
Falken asked about the fares, and Howell said the prices he quoted were only available on the
website. LaDell Swiden, a local travel agent, asked if they would put travel agents on a level playing
field and make the same prices available for them. At this time, the travel agents are not able to give
the same prices that are offered on the website. He said the travel agents will support the airlines
when they have the same rates available to them that are available on the website.
Howell stated the Great Lakes Airlines will begin service in Brookings on October 29, 2006.
Mesa Airlines has said they will stay until that day. GLA has a ticket agreement with Mesa to honor
their previously purchased tickets.
Airport Manager Patrick Dame asked Howell if GLA has a certified weather observer.
Howell said in 80-90% of the areas they service, they do have one, but it depends on the agent.
Dame said he would like to have one in-house as the Brookings Regional Airport’s AWOS has
problems. He added that the government updates will help in repairing it.
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Boulware asked if GLA does charter flights. Howell said they usually do not as that creates a
shortage of equipment for them. He added that they have two (2) spare Beech 1900s in their fleet
for use when other planes are under maintenance or repair.
Sexauer stated that since 1988, five (5) airlines have served Brookings. He added that the
concern in the community is how long they will stay. He wants to know how to build the boardings.
Howell said nothing is guaranteed, but they want to help Brookings because that helps GLA by
building business. Howell said they have had extra expenses in coming back to the Brookings
market, and they want to succeed. He said it will be a challenge, and he is hoping that by including
Pierre, and having Denver as the hub, people will find it easier to get into and out of Brookings. He
said the need is to get people back into airplane seats. He said their partnership with Pierre is good,
and they will get a bigger airplane if the smaller one gets filled. Bailey reiterated the concern of what
the Board can do to guarantee success with GLA. Howell said to keep up with the congressional
pressure on the political end. He added that Brookings has done a very good job in that area, and
now is not the time to give that up. Boulware asked if the planes were full, could GLA make it in
Brookings without the essential air service subsidy. Howell answered that to become a non-subsidy,
the numbers must be in the seats. Boulware asked if 90% capacity is enough to be successful in a
non-EAS situation. Howell said probably.
Sexauer asked if Brookings would house a plane overnight. Howell said yes. Forsyth asked
that if GLA would leave Pierre, what would that do to Brookings. Howell said the airlines must file
to quit service, and the Department of Transportation would do bids again. Bailey asked if any
planes would buy fuel in Brookings. Howell said they would purchase several hundred gallons of
fuel each day except Saturday and Sunday. He added that they will contract with the local FBO.
Bailey stressed that fuel purchase in Brookings is very important to the FBO.
Forsyth asked what the Board could do, other than boardings, to get things going. Howell
answered marketing – support the resources. Taylor told of a town where two retired people did
presentations to community groups – to make people aware, aware, aware of flying local! The airline
was a success.
Item #5 Old Business
FAA Grant for Runway 12/30 - Dame said that Brookings Regional Airport has received a $650,000
grant to do milling, overlay, and repair work on the runway. Brookings is one of two cities in South
Dakota to get a grant. Work will start in early spring while oil prices are down. Sexauer said that the
amount is $100,000 short of what was needed. He was wondering how that would affect the work.
Dame said they won’t remove the original runway. They will put the new runway over the top of the
present one. He added that this is a five to seven year fix to the problem. Forsyth asked if bids will
need to be let for the project. Dame said the consultants will do the plans and specifications and the
bid letting. Dame said the work needs to be completed by June 2007, but an extension can be
requested if necessary.
Item #6 – New Business
Lease approval for Steve Whitaker and Tim Huber – Dame stated that before the Board was the
approval on the Whitaker/Huber lease. He explained that the amount for rent for 2006 was
prorated using the day they filed for the building permit as their starting day. He added that 2007 will
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be the full lease price. Bailey asked if the start day should be the day they move into the hangar.
Dame said they are using the land as they are building. Boulware agreed and added that doing it this
way gets people moving so they don’t tie up the land.
(Thompson/Forsyth) Motion to approve the prorated lease for Steve Whitaker and Tim
Huber. All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED.
Item #7 – Airport Manager’s Report – Dame reported that the Street Department had repaired
taxiway A, and work on it is complete for 2006. He added that other recent problems were the
beacon burning up the transformer (which is fixable) and electrical problems with the wind cone.
Electricians have not been able to find the break in the 2,000 feet of wire between the cone and the
vault. Dame said that taxiway A has also experienced electrical problems. He received an emergency
grant to fix the problems. He said he feels there will be more and more problems because of the
aging electrical system. Boulware asked if work on the taxiway would be complete by winter. Dame
answered hopefully, yes. He said it was not a problem during the recent inspection,
Dame informed the Board that SDSU had terminated their agreement with Big Sioux
Aviation on flight training two (2) weeks ago.
Item #8 – FBO Report – Jim Jones Jr. reported that their boardings for August were 178
passengers and so far in September, they are 179 passengers. He said that corporate traffic has been
very busy the last five (5) months. They plan for their hangar to be completed by October 1, 2006.
Item #9 – TSA Report – There was no representative available from the TSA.
Item #10 – Air Carrier Report – There was no representative available from Mesa Airlines.
The meeting was adjourned.
____________________________ ___________________________
Diane M. Spencer, Secretary Robb Sexauer, Chairperson
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