Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAirport.Minutes.08-08-2017AIRPORT BOARD MINUTES August 8, 2017 Sandy’s Place Restaurant Members Present: Justin Albright, Jeff Brune, Robert Cork, Ryan Dewrock, Joe Hobbs, Brian Ozark, Mark Welker Others Present: Bruce Loy, Airport Manager; Katrina Amos, Deputy Airport Manager; Derrick Irwin, Flight Line Supervisor; Joe Uzoro, Cape Girardeau City Council Ward 1 I. Minutes of Previous Meeting: The meeting was called to order at 11:33am. Mr. Welker moved and Mr. Dewrock seconded the motion to approve the minutes from the July 11, 12, 13, 17, & 18th meetings. The motion was approved with a unanimous vote. II. Appearances: III. Old Business: A. Airport Activity Report – Mr. Loy began by thanking the Board for their time and effort during the airline selection process. He expressed that to his understanding the decision would be made by the Department of Transportation by September 1. He was confident that the DOT would go along with the City Councils recommendation of Skywest service to Chicago O’Hare. Mr. Loy went on to discuss the airport activity report for the month of July. He informed the Board that Cape Air numbers were up across the board, 42% over this time last year, and 15% higher year to date. He expressed that 2017 was looking to be Cape Air’s highest year at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. The Board also discussed the five cancellations that were due to mechanical issues. The air traffic numbers are “through the roof” up nearly 60% over last year. Mr. Loy discussed how this dramatic increase in traffic is creating a huge strain on the already understaffed tower. Mr. Welker questioned if this was leading to any over time incurred by the tower staff and if so how much that is costing the city. Mr. Loy told him that yes, even after reducing the operating hours of the tower, the controllers still have to work overtime hours with minimal breaks to accommodate for the lack of a fourth controller. Mr. Hobbs questioned why the tower was short staffed. Mr. Loy explained that the fourth controller position was taken out of the Airports budget by city staff after a former controller retired years ago. It was recommended to include the Control Tower in the City’s definition of public safety which would open it up to more funding and higher priority within the city. Mr. Uzorau liked this idea and recommended that the Board report to council on the need for another controller. Mr. Albright suggested getting the state wide report of airport rankings for all airports in the same class as CGI in order to compare our Tower situation to others with the same volume of traffic. Mr. Irwin attributed a lot of this extra traffic to a flight training school in Millington, TN that has been sending a lot of students to CGI to practice at a controlled airport. Other flight instruction schools based at the airport have been booming as well adding to the traffic count. B. Cape Aviation Report – Mr. Irwin began by stating the tremendous need for more hangar space. He explained that the requests for hangar space keep rolling in but there is nowhere else to put them. The amount of planes currently stored in large group hangars such as Hangar 71 (former Commander Hangar) is starting to become a safety issue when trying to move aircraft in or out, and with Cape Aviation already being short staffed it becomes a serious liability when trying to move aircraft. Mr. Welker proposed raising the price of rent on private hangars. Mr. Loy expressed that in order to build new hangars there would need to be more road access and that with the runway 2-20 project the left over asphalt from milling will be recycled and used to build more infrastructures around the airport. Mr. Irwin stated that with the number of people requesting private hangar space he could fill 20-30 t-hangars right now if they were available. It was recommended to replace old dilapidated Air-Evac t-hangars with new pole barn style structures. This would reduce overhead building costs and increase revenue through rent and fuel purchases that could be used for other fully enclosed hangars. The Board questioned whether it was still the intent of the City to sell the former Commander Hangar. Mr. Uzorau expressed his recommendation to not sell Commander unless it would create jobs. Mr. Loy discussed the need to update the Airports Terminal Area Master Plan. This plan outlines needed and desired projects such as hangars, terminal updates, surface area repairs, and an updated maintenance facility and opens the airport up to possible federal funds for these various projects. Mr. Irwin also informed the Board that the KCAC – Pilatus and Piper Great Planes Expo would be stopping at CGI in September. They would be displaying 7-10 new aircraft for potential customers to view. C. Project Update – • 10/28 Lighting Project Update – Mr. Loy informed the Board that the electrical vault exterior has been ordered. • 2/20 Overlay Project Update – The contract with Apex was presented at the August 7th City Council meeting as well as the grant documentation for the project. D. Air Service Discussion – Mr. Loy informed the Board that there was not much new to report on the Air Service discussion except that SkyWest was asking for a three (3) month lead time before beginning operations but wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from them just yet. • Potential Terminal and ARFF Upgrades – The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) training needs to be completed prior to SkyWest beginning operations. It is then required that there be a live-training drill done every three (3) years after initial training. Ms. Amos discussed the options for different seating in the terminal stating that the current chairs in the waiting area has been there for close to twenty (20) years and need to be replaced. She said the lead time on the furniture would be close to six (6) weeks. E. Fuel Distributor Contract – Mr. Loy informed the Board that the current distribution contract would be up at the end of August. This was a five (5) year agreement with potential for a five (5) year extension. Mr. Loy explained that they were going to amend the extension to just two (2) years in order to scope the fuel use of the new airline service. Mr. Irwin expressed that it would be a good idea to have another JetA truck to allow for more than one jet fueling operation to occur at a time to better facilitate jet traffic. The Board asked if improvements to the self-serve unit had been included in the request. Ms. Amos assured the request had been made and the company was agreeable. Mr. Albright suggested constructing some sort of shelter to cover the unit to better protect it from the elements. Mr. Irwin suggested using a car port type structure. IV. New Business – A. Mr. Loy informed the Board that the Boy Scouts had approached him wanting to establish an aviation explorer post at the airport. Based on previous experience with the Mr. Loy expressed the need for a good dedicated leader for the group. Mr. Cork suggested using an already established troop instead of trying to establish an entirely new group in hopes that they will be more dedicated to seeing the program through. V. Non-Agenda – A. Mr. Cork asked about the status of the gate that was damaged months ago. Ms. Amos informed him that Bootheel Fence Company had been awarded the bid and would be at the airport in the following weeks to make the repairs. B. Mr. Albright stressed the importance that marketing will play in the success of the airport during the impending airline change. He expressed that it is the responsibility of the Airport and the City to invest in marketing strategies to ensure the success of the new airline. Mr. Brune recommended being very aggressive on social media. Mr. Uzorau suggested working with the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau as well as the Chamber of Commerce to get the best marketing bang for our buck. Mr. Welker recommended reaching out to southern communities such as Sikeston, Carbondale and Poplar Bluff. And the idea of establishing a shuttle service from Southern Illinois to CGI to allow students a way to fly to Chicago was discussed, as well as the importance of rental car options. Adjournment: There being no other business, Mr. Albright moved to adjourn the meeting and Mr. Brune seconded the motion. All were in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 12:40pm. Minutes prepared by _________________________ Hannah Seesing Deputy Airport Manager