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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAirport.Minutes.07-10-2018AIRPORT BOARD MINUTES July 10, 2018 Sandy’s Place Restaurant Members Present: Jeff Brune, Ryan Dewrock, Joe Hobbs, Richard Knote, Brian Ozark, Mark Seesing, Joe Uzoaru, Mark Welker Others Present: Bruce Loy, Airport Manager; Katrina Amos; Deputy Airport Manager; Derrick Irwin, Flight Line Supervisor; Kyle Campbell, Administrative Clerk I. Minutes of Previous Meeting: The meeting was called to order at 11:33am. Mr. Knote moved and Mr. Uzoaru seconded the motion to amend the minutes from the previous meeting on Page 2, “Request for Expression of Interest” section to add that there was “limited” support from the City Council. The motion was approved with a unanimous vote. II. Appearances: There were no appearances. Mr. Richard Knote was acknowledged and welcomed as a new Board member. III. Old Business: A. Airport Activity Report – Mr. Loy presented the Airport Usage Report to the Board. He reported that airline boardings are growing considerably, up 38% over last year. July is expected to continue the trend. Mr. Loy noted the morning flight, which had experienced a surge recently, is down again. The afternoon flight continues to do well, with load factors averaging 50%. There have been several flights with 30-40 passengers. The Board asked if there was any data on the Quincy, IL portion of the flight, to which Mr. Loy replied Quincy’s monthly enplanement numbers are over 1,000, including revenue and non-revenue passengers. Mr. Loy is working to obtain better data for Quincy. Discussion continued on the topic. Mr. Loy reported that airport traffic is up again, which can be attributed to decent weather as of late. Flight training has also picked up considerably, as well as aerial agricultural services (crop dusters). Mr. Loy asked the Board for feedback on the increased crop duster traffic the airport is experiencing. Mr. Loy has gathered information from other airports, specifically Malden, MO as to how they handle such operations. Malden has an agreement with each company and charges $250/day to use their facilities. With the increased usage, it has added to the workload of an already understaffed control tower. Mr. Loy asked for feedback as to whether a fee should be charged to use the airport’s facilities. Mr. Irwin noted they purchase some fuel but not much. While no vote was taken, the Board was in favor of exploring options to generate revenue from these activities. Discussion continued on the topic. B. Cape Aviation Report – Mr. Irwin presented the Cape Aviation Report to the Board. He stated it was a steady month with not much to report. Mr. Hobbs asked the Board and airport staff their thoughts on offering some sort of promotion, such as discussed at the previous meeting. Mr. Hobbs continued that it should be held frequently and promoted in hopes to increase traffic at the airport. Mr. Loy presented a spreadsheet that provided data on the slowest fuel days at Cape Aviation. It was determined there is no true “slow day”, so the Board began brainstorming on what days would work best and what could be offered as incentive. Mr. Irwin suggested Friday as the best day, adding that it could be paired with the airport restaurant, Sandy’s Place, fish Fridays. Board members were in favor of this day. Discussion continued on the frequency and marketing, to which airport staff agreed to work on flyers and coordinating with Sandy’s. It was determined the promotion will begin Friday, August 3rd and continue on every Friday for a two (2) month period. C. Project Update –  10/28 Lighting Project Update - Mr. Loy stated that the project is mostly complete, with only punchlist items left to finish. Ms. Amos noted that Darrell Goth, project manager with MoDOT Aviation, would like to have a final inspection on the project before the end of July.  Control Tower Equipment Update – Mr. Loy provided a quick update to the Board on the tower equipment upgrades. A bid has been awarded for the custom console and cabinetry in the tower cab. Once this is complete, the installation of the equipment will follow. Mr. Loy also noted that control tower red iron project funding was including in the City’s new fiscal year. Airport staff will begin working with Development Services on the design, bidding, and construction phases of the project.  Cardinal Glennon Renovation Update – Mr. Loy and Ms. Amos reported to the Board that due to the first mandatory pre-bid meeting being attended by subcontractors only, the Cardinal Glennon Interior Renovation project had to be re-advertised. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting was held on June 27th. Three (3) general contractors were present and it is expected that they will all submit a bid. The bid opening is scheduled for July 11th at 10:00am.  Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) – Mr. Loy informed the Board that the first meeting scheduled to discuss the Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) for a private company to partner with the City to demo, rehabilitate, or construct new hangar facilities at the airport was held. One company out of Kansas City, MO attended, however, there has also been interest expressed from a local contractor. Mr. Loy admitted that he was unsure of what the proposals will be but believes the interest is there and is curious as to what the proposals will entail. Mr. Loy noted there will have to be some discussions soon as to how the proposals will be scored and what criteria will be used. Mr. Uzoaru asked Mr. Loy what he most desired out of a public/private partnership. Mr. Loy replied he is open to review all options but he prefers a partnership where the airport/City maintains control over the hangars. Discussion continued on the topic. D. Air Service Discussion  Airline Marketing Update – Mr. Loy and Ms. Amos updated the board on the various forms of marketing utilized to promote airline service, including: television, radio, print, and digital. Mr. Loy expanded on the digital forms of marketing with the inclusion of geo-fencing and behavioral targeting; both proving to be successful tools for marketing. Mr. Loy informed the Board that he will give a presentation to City Council on July 16th, updating them on how the additional marketing funds were used. Mr. Loy noted that as of yet, MoDOT has not issued the Air Service Development grant. Amy Ludwig, administrator of MoDOT Aviation, has indicated that airports are eligible for reimbursement of any funds used to promote air service beginning July 1, 2018; however, Mr. Loy does not know the amount of the grant, making it difficult to commit to larger advertising packages. Mr. Dewrock asked that in the airport’s effort to reach the 10,000 annual enplanements to become a primary airport, how easy it will be to gain support from the City for more progress. Mr. Loy stated it will be important to have the continued support of City Council and management. The entitlement funds the airport would receive as a primary airport would only be available for non-revenue generating projects. There would have to be support for more t-hangars and terminal renovations. The discussion continued on, changing subject to t-hangar development, with Mr. Dewrock adding that maybe there should be a form for potential tenants to fill out with a deposit that could be presented to City management to further the airport’s position that if t-hangars are built, tenants will come. Discussion continued on this topic.  CAF Arizona Wing Visit Update – Mr. Loy mentioned that the B-25 had a successful visit with exception of engine trouble. They were forced to cancel their last day of scheduled rides. The crew is still here trying to install a new engine. Mr. Jack Rickard has allowed them to work out of his hangar to perform the maintenance.  Air Festival – Mr. Loy informed the Board that things are moving forward and he has $40-45,000 in sponsorships committed so far. He expressed his thanks to the Board with the assistance of obtaining additional sponsorships and noted that Mr. Hobbs and Mr. Dewrock had set up meetings with local businesses to continue this effort. Mr. Loy asked if Mr. Seesing wanted to continue on as the Blue Angels liaison, to which Mr. Seesing agreed. Mr. Loy noted that equipment needs for the jet team is an obstacle and requires a lot planning. Mr. Hobbs stated that the Board would help in any way with this effort. Mr. Loy and Mr. Hobbs reiterated that it would be helpful if each member could find two (2) sponsors for the show. Mr. Loy ended the discussion by informing the Board that the plastic for the plastic runway has already been manufactured by Mondi and he is in talks with Delta companies for aggregate. IV. New Business A. New Gate System – Mr. Loy informed the Board that the airport is moving forward to install a new gate system that includes new card reader systems for all of the drive through gates. It was noted that Gate #2 has been down and is in need of a new operating system. While waiting on this to be completed, a new concrete slab has been poured to ensure the new loop installation will be successful. Mr. Uzoaru provided additional information on local security companies that specialize in card reader systems. He stated that staff should consider researching those companies if not too far in the process. Ms. Amos noted that information, stating that she has been working on this project with Anna Kangas, building and code enforcement supervisor with the City, and will consult with her on the next steps. B. TSA Security Checkpoint Improvements - Mr. Loy informed the Board that TSA staff had indicated that with changes to security checkpoint, heat has become an issue. The entrance to the area is directly under the skylight, which produces a considerable amount heat from the sunlight. The thermometer has registered as high as 85 degrees in that area. Airport staff hired a company to tint the skylight with a 5% tint in hopes to reduce the amount of sunlight. Maintenance staff also redirected a vent into that area to help cool the area. Mr. Loy is unsure whether this has completely resolved the issues but it has helped. V. Non-Agenda A. Former Commander Inquiry – Mr. Loy informed the Board that there has been another inquiry concerning the former Commander hangar. Mr. Loy did not have very many details but just wanted to make the Board aware of this inquiry. Adjournment: There being no other business, Mr. Brune moved to adjourn the meeting and Mr. Uzoaru seconded the motion. All were in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 1:26pm. Minutes prepared by ______________________ Katrina D. Amos Deputy Airport Manager