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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAirMinutes_2008_06_19Brookings Airport Board June 19, 2008 Brookings, SD 57006 The Brookings Airport Board was called to order by Vice-chairperson Jeff Boulware on June 19, 2008 at 3:30 PM in the Meeting Room at City Hall. Members present were Lynn Riedesel, Harry Forsyth, and Boulware. Jim Bailey was absent. Also present were Jerry Waltman and Randy Hanson-Pheasant’s Fury Aviation, City Manager Jeff Weldon, City Engineer Jackie Lanning, and Airport Manager Mike Wilson. Item #2 – (Forsyth/Riedesel) Motion to approve the minutes from the May 15, 2008 meeting. All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED. Item #3 – (Riedesel/ Forsyth) Motion to approve the agenda. All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED. Item #4 – Board members will email the secretary with dates they are available for the next meeting. The secretary will then notify the Board of the day that will work for the majority. Old Business Item #5 – Update of the electronic security project – Airport Manager Mike Wilson said he has been dissatisfied with Brookings Electric and their work schedule at the airport. Weldon asked if the City had a contract with Brookings Electric. Wilson said no as that work is contracted through the Department of Homeland Security. Weldon asked if Wilson could find someone else to do the work at the same cost. There is no timeline to get the work done. Item #6 – Update on the electrical project – Lights at the airport should be a constant intensity. They fluctuate now. Brookings Electric ran out of regulators and hasn’t done any work since. Wilson said they ran over budget on raising the in-set lights, so now they only have one person working on the project. Lanning added that the staff has been very frustrated also. Bob Babcock, with Helms and Associates called Brookings Electric also. Hopefully service will be better now. Lanning said we do have a contract for this project so the City Council may have to deal with it. Item #7 – Standards for uniform building design for hangars – Wilson had a drawing from Leslie Downer. He would like to build a hangar at the airport. Boulware said that the Board needs to decide on hangar standards for the airport. Lanning felt standard size trusses should be required. If the trusses are too expensive, others won’t want to build on to the cluster. She added that the City will not allow a person to make their own trusses. Wilson said that Downer wants the Board to make a decision S:\Cityhall\Bonnie\Citizen Advisory Boards\Airport Board\AirMinutes2008Jun19.doc 1 today. Wilson said he will not allow a hangar to be built without access to asphalt. Boulware said the row (cluster) must be all the same and conform to what is already there. Wilson said whatever is decided must be added to the Rules and Regulations. Riedesel said if the Board can come to an agreement on the uniformity, Wilson can tell Downer that there will be no asphalt for new sites, but if he wants to add on next to the Bailey hangar, he could start now with the 7460 form as it takes about two months for FAA approval. Downer could build next to Bailey as long as no additional snow load would be added to Bailey’s hangar. Wilson said he encouraged building next to the Bailey hangar where there is asphalt. Construction there would finish that row. Riedesel asked what the Board should do today. Wilson said a decision needs to be made on dimensions for new hangars. Wilson said to build next to the Bailey hangar, the height and width must be the same. Boulware added that if Downer uses steel, it must not be a pole barn. Lanning said she would check with Building Inspector Greg Miller on footing requirements. Boulware said specifications should call for depth, pitch, and height of the sidewall. Boulware suggested Wilson approach Downer and offer the place north of the Bailey hangar. Downer must meet the height, width, roof pitch, and approved door details. Riedesel suggested the Board take a road trip to see how other airport communities reach conformity. He suggested going to Sioux Falls and Tea to see their airport, and discuss the findings at the next meeting. Wilson added that there will be no relocation funds for Downer if he builds now. Boulware asked Wilson how many people were asking to build at the airport. Wilson said he had a list, but some are waiting for a decision regarding the possible relocation of the airport. Boulware added that with the rising fuel costs, general aviation flying is decreasing in the country. Corporate flying has been staying the same. Item #8 – Discussion on the parking lot at the FBO – Lanning explained that from the center of the road to the corner of the hangar, it is 55 feet. The sidewalk is 48 feet from the center of the road. She said the proposed parking area is about 40 feet wide, and it can be paved. Randy Hanson asked if he could go to the edge with gravel and pre-prep it for asphalt. Wilson said the City will not do snow removal on the gravel. Hanson asked if he could put up a sign stating the lot is private parking. Weldon asked why a bigger parking lot was needed. Hanson said some of people do not want to park at the far end and walk to the FBO. Weldon said if the lot is not too small, there should be no discussion about it. Users can walk. It was explained that originally, Big Sioux Aviation told the ethanol people that the City would pave the lot. Wilson told them that this had never been approved by the City. Boulware asked if anybody was paying a lease on the parking lot. Wilson said no. Weldon said if the lot wants to be used privately, the City should get a lease on it. Hanson asked if the ethanol group could pave it at their own expense. Wilson said yes, if they want to lease it at .10/square foot like others at the airport do. Hanson asked if the city would do the snow removal if someone else paved it. Wilson said yes. Wilson suggested having an area in the parking lot for long-term parking away from the S:\Cityhall\Bonnie\Citizen Advisory Boards\Airport Board\AirMinutes2008Jun19.doc 2 door. That would free up parking spaces closer to the door. Hanson asked that the item be tabled until the next meeting after he visits with the ethanol people. New Business Item #9 – Update on new Airport Board member – Lanning explained that three people have expressed interest in a term on the Board. She felt there would be a new member by the next meeting. Item #10 – Airport Board Manager’s Report – • ASOS Training – Wilson said he had been in Kansas City at a conference. Airport Certification Manuals, Part 139 Certificates, airport inspections, night inspections, construction inspections, NOTAMs, marking lighting and signs, vehicle/pedestrian deviations, runway incursions, fire fighting, wildlife hazard management, fuel operations, and other items were discussed. • Airport Emergency Plan Review – Wilson said he held a meeting on June 4, 2008 with all emergency areas except the hospital. He met with them on another date. He added that there is a new director for the ambulance service, and he wants to drive on the airport to be familiar with the layout. Wilson said there will be a review exercise in the future. Boulware asked if firemen are included. Wilson said yes. Jerry Waltman asked that when there is a fuel spill, someone needs to know where to turn off the fuel and who to call. Wilson said that has been taken care of, and he will add it to the emergency plan. Discussion will start in July with an exercise in approximately three months. Boulware volunteered his students if they could be of some help in the exercise. He added that the aviation safety class teaches safety, but to see an exercise would be valuable to his 25 students. • Wilson said the airport has a new 2004 Polaris ATV with a snow plow. He added that it will now be easier to get closer to the hangars without doing any damage. A sprayer can also be used with the ATV. Wilson said the airport now has 2 four-wheelers which will also save on wear and tear on the other vehicles when chasing animals off of the airport. • The fuel incident at the airport was discussed. Wilson said he has done a report, but it takes two weeks to hear from the state. He said the dead-man switch was cut, and the cable was stuck in the cabinet. In three hours, 811 gallons of fuel were spilled. Wilson said he is having the system re-wired and having an emergency stop switch put on the outside (20 feet away). Riedesel asked if this could happen when refueling at the FBO. Wilson said no as the switch turns off automatically. Riedesel said he was impressed with how everyone was working together doing as they should in that situation. Weldon agreed. Boulware commended Wilson on a job well done. Hanson said he has turned the claim in to his insurance company, and wondered who would help him pay for the lost fuel. He wondered whose liability it was. Wilson said the dead-man was cut, the wires were not capped, and the City was not notified. Waltman said it was caused by water in the case. Wilson added that refueling S:\Cityhall\Bonnie\Citizen Advisory Boards\Airport Board\AirMinutes2008Jun19.doc 3 S:\Cityhall\Bonnie\Citizen Advisory Boards\Airport Board\AirMinutes2008Jun19.doc 4 should never take place without a dead-man switch. Hanson said regardless of why it happened, when there is a system that fails, that system is faulty. Waltman suggested putting a padlock on the electrical box. • Lanning explained that the environmental specialist doing the study on the off-site location has sent a report to HNTB. They have found two issues that need to be reviewed. In town, one property could have historical significance, and there are more off-site that need to be explored. They are still unsure of when the study will be completed. Lanning added that historical property won’t stop the report, but it will slow it down. When the report is issued, the city has 30 days to review it. Then it is out for more review for 30 more days. This pushes the final decision date back. Boulware asked for an estimate as to when a decision would be made by the City Council about relocating the airport. Wilson said he can’t say, but would guess by January 2009. Lanning said the public hearing would still be in 2008. Lanning added that the news is very frustrating. • Boulware asked about Essential Air Service. Wilson said he had heard nothing. He was notified that Congress was working on it, but then they stopped. Item #11 – Hanson said the FBO will be closed on July 4, but they will be on-call. On July 19, there is a block party at Waltmans. Hanson said he wants to replace the Big Sioux Aviation sign with a Pheasant’s Fury sign. He said he will use the pole and structure that is there and just change the sign face. Lanning asked him to see City Planner Dan Hanson as he issues sign permits for the City of Brookings. The meeting was adjourned. ____________________________ _______________________________ Diane M. Spencer, Secretary Jeff Boulware, Vice-chairperson