Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAirMinutes_2009_02_19S:\Cityhall\Bonnie\Citizen Advisory Boards\Airport Board\AirMinutes2009Feb19.doc 1 Brookings Airport Board Brookings, SD 57006 February 19, 2009 The Brookings Airport Board was called to order by Chairperson Jeff Boulware on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 1:10 PM in the Community Room at City Hall. Members present were Lynn Riedesel, Jim Bailey, Orv Smidt, and Boulware. Harry Forsyth was absent. Also present were Randy Hanson – Pheasant’s Fury, Bob Babcock – Helms & Assoc., Andy Olson – HNTB, Duane Bymers, Rob Sexauer, Airport Operations and Maintenance Technician Jeremy Scott, City Engineer Jackie Lanning, and Airport Manager Mike Wilson. Item #2 – (Bailey/Smidt) Motion to approve the minutes from the January 15, 2009 meeting. All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED . Item #3 – (Riedesel/Bailey) Motion to approve the agenda. All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED . Item #4 – The next meeting will be held on March 19, 2009 at 1:15 PM in the City Hall meeting room. Item #6 – Old Business – Update on the Environmental Assessment from Bob Babcock (Helms & Assoc.) and Andy Olson (HNTB) – Bob Babcock, Helms & Associates, reported that much progress had been made in the last two months. He and Andy Olson, HNTB, have met with the FAA, the South Dakota Department of Transportation, the Corp of Engineers, the US Fish and Wildlife Services, and the State Historical Preservation Office in Pierre. They have also met in Bismarck with the FAA to review the Environmental Assessment. Olson had a presentation on both the on-site and off- site alternatives as impacted by the environmental studies. Babcock said that the FAA is elevating their efforts to deter wildlife on airports all over the nation. They are looking at this problem more closely than ever. Olson said the on-site alternative has more environmental impact and requires more study and more coordination with other groups. The off-site alternative offers cleaner environmental issues but more financial issues. Babcock said there was talk about the City Council making an early decision on which alternative they preferred so only one Environmental Assessment would need to be completed. But the FAA wants to see a complete study on both sites before a decision is made. The US Fish and Wildlife Service only wants to work with one study. Babcock said the on-site alternative will impact wetlands, floodplain, floodway, and the habitat of the Topeka shiner minnow in Six-Mile Creek. Therefore more work will be done with FEMA. Babcock also mentioned the Bismarck meeting where land that the city had purchased was discussed. In that parcel, a county or township road goes through the runway protection zone. That road would need to be re-routed if this alternative is S:\Cityhall\Bonnie\Citizen Advisory Boards\Airport Board\AirMinutes2009Feb19.doc 2 chosen. Smidt asked about the cost to reroute the road. Babcock said it would be at the city’s cost. Babcock also mentioned that the bio-solid drying beds would have to be moved. There are also equalization basins, but with proper design they can stay on the airport. Tim Pugh with the US Fish and Wildlife Service had stated that the area would not be an attractant to wildlife if the basins were drained dry and the vegetation was able to be mowed in the area. Wilson added that Brookings Municipal Utilities may pay for the basin removal. Babcock said that some progress was made in Bismarck, and it might be possible to leave the basins if they are closely monitored. Olson said the MALSR would need to be moved to the other end of the runway also. Boulware asked if the crosswind runway would need to be reconstructed. Babcock said yes, but not until the next five to eight years. Smidt asked if the approaches would be affected. Olson said the location would be affected but not the type of approach. Boulware said a pilot could take off on one runway and think they were on the other runway. Olson said yes, this was a factor, but not a driving factor. Boulware asked how operational the airport would be during reconstruction if this alternative were chosen. Babcock said pilots would have the crosswind runway, but some days the airport would not be usable. Boulware asked if half the work could be done at one time, and the other half done later. Babcock said possibly, but costs become a factor if construction is done that way. Babcock said construction could take place from April to November. Smidt asked if there had been discussions on expanding the runway from 6,000 to 7,000 feet. Olson said 7,000 feet is not justified. Boulware asked what the impact would be at the east end of the runway. Babcock said the National Guard area would require an easement, the City would need to purchase some land, but no buildings, and an easement would be necessary over Rude’s Funeral Home parking lot. Olson said no buildings would be impacted, but the FAA could require some buildings on the east end to have lights. Boulware asked if runway 29 would have a lighting system. Olson said a different lighting system could be considered, but not in this project. Riedesel said that it seemed like the on-site alternative would require a lot more work to make the site acceptable to the FAA. Babcock said again that the on-site alternative was not as good a choice, environmentally, as the off-site alternative, but there is the dollar issue with the off-site alternative. Babcock said that the concern is that the US Fish and Wildlife Services will not state what can or can not occur on a particular alternative until the preferred alternative is chosen, and the FAA will not make a decision until they have the information from US Fish and Wildlife Services. Babcock reiterated that they have been working long and hard to get this situation resolved. Randy Hanson, Pheasant’s Fury, asked about the building moratorium around the on-site alternative. Babcock said the runway and parallel taxiways would not S:\Cityhall\Bonnie\Citizen Advisory Boards\Airport Board\AirMinutes2009Feb19.doc 3 change but maybe there could be other less significant changes. The area that Hanson was referring to did not contain a building moratorium. Olson went ahead with the discussion on the off-site alternative. He said floodplains and wetlands would be avoided by the runways. He added that the off- site alternative solves the environmental problems, but there is a financial issue with the off-site alternative. Babcock said the FAA is frustrated because they don’t feel they know enough about the funds that would be secured by selling the present airport land. Duane Bymers asked about the timeframe involved. He said he knows that there is strong resistance from the people living in Trenton Township. He added that they have legal consultation and feel they could keep this case in the courts for a very long time. Babcock said those would be questions for the city’s lawyer to answer. Boulware asked what the sewage and wastewater system would be for the off- site alternative. Babcock said it would not be City Sewer but probably septic tanks. Babcock said a biological assessment will be done next to keep the US Fish and Wildlife Service going on this project. Olson was asked about the complexity of this project and how it compares to others he has worked on. He answered that the two alternatives offer many, many options that he has worked with before. But he said he has never had this many options all in one project, therefore making this a very complex project. Smidt asked if one alternative would offer more to the Brookings business community. Olson said no, as either alternative would provide the same aeronautical advantages. Boulware said he knows of businesses that would not have located in Brookings if there had not been an airport. Item #6 – New Business – Discussion on the annual Airport Board report – Lanning said that the main addition to the report was the information on the newest member, Orv Smidt. Wilson said he went through the last year’s minutes to get the detailed information about the meetings and items discussed. (Riedesel/Smidt) Motion to approve the annual Airport Board report and recommend it be forwarded to the City Council for review. All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED . Item #7 – Airport Manager’s Report  Wilson said specifications for the new snowplow truck have been sent with two addendums. Bids are due next Tuesday, February 24, 2009. Council action will be March 10th. If a bid is approved, construction of the truck can begin. S:\Cityhall\Bonnie\Citizen Advisory Boards\Airport Board\AirMinutes2009Feb19.doc 4  The new fuel system was discussed. The first bid will be for the system ground work. Then the concrete pads and wiring will be bid. Wilson said he is trying to make the system as portable as possible.  Wilson said he had an inquiry about college athletic teams flying in and out of the Brookings Regional Airport.  Wilson said he had inspected the PAPIs and realigned two. He asked the pilots to let him know if any of the PAPIs go off alignment again.  Wilson said the airport’s payloader is fixed. The work was estimated at $8,300 - $8,500. He said he used it to cut trees at the east end of the airport. Riedesel asked if any of those trees were on the Pitts property. Wilson said no, but if there are any questions, they should call him.  Wilson said he will be doing some test burning on Monday. If the wood burns, he will set up shifts for the firemen to cover the area in a 24 hour rotation with two firemen on each shift.  Paperless packets were discussed. The board was informed that all city boards will eventually be sending all packet information electronically. Item #8 – FBO Report  Hanson said his staff has worked on the fuel issue creating a cart for the fuel pump where the pump is mounted on the cart. Hanson said he did not think they would need a pump for the new tanks.  Hanson said he had initiated a new program called the “Wings Program”. It is through the Conoco Phillips Company. The program encourages pilots to come to Brookings for refueling. When using the “Wings Program”, pilots will receive rewards. He is hoping this will bring more air traffic to the Brookings airport.  Hanson asked about the annual Airports Conference to be held in Aberdeen on March 24 – 25 and whether the Board felt he should attend. Riedesel said it is a great place to network and get to know others in South Dakota that are in the aviation field. Wilson agreed. Lanning said Hanson could ride with the city personnel attending if he would like to.  Hanson asked Wilson if the TSA knew that he had space for them at the FBO. Wilson said yes.  Riedesel said he had heard that three pilots had been hired by Great Lakes Airlines. There were many applicants, and three hired were from Brookings. Hanson and Riedesel agreed that was very good for Brookings. The meeting was adjourned. ___________________________ __________________________ Diane M. Spencer, Secretary Jeff Boulware, Chairperson