AIRPORT COMMISSION MINUTES March 7, 2006

Transcription

1 AIRPORT COMMISSION MINUTES Present David Hamby, Chair Jim Moran, Vice Chair Bill Gleaves Marion Rose Louise Parsons Tom Picht Todd Brown Absent Betty Griffiths, Council Liaison Lanny Zoeller Staff Jon Katin, Transportation Supervisor Dan Mason, Airport Coordinator Visitors Tyler Parsons, pilot, OPA Eric Dapp, pilot, airport tenant Mysty Rusk, EDP Craig Tate, Corvallis Aero Services Rod Lockrem, Honey B, LLC Jack Mykrantz, pilot, airport tenant Jack Loflin, pilot Zach Brattain, Oregon State Flying Club Tom Mock, FAA/Eugene ATCT Ruthann Couch, FAA/Eugene ATCT SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION Agenda Item Information Only Held for Further Review Recommendations I. Open Meeting, Introductions X II. Review of February 7, 2006 Minutes Approved, as amended. III. Visitor Comments REACH Air Ambulance - Jim Adams X IV. New Business Phelan Corporate Hangar Lease Airspace Change Request Approved lease. Disapproved. V. Old Business N/A VI. Update on Industrial Park X VII. Update on Airport VIII. Update on FBOs X X IX. Update on City Council N/A X. Information Sharing Monthly financial report N/A

2 Page 2 CONTENT OF DISCUSSION I. Open Meeting, Introductions Chair Hamby opened the meeting at 7:00 am. Staff and visitors were introduced. II. Review of Minutes Page 5, item VI, second bullet, the motion was seconded by Commissioner Tom Picht. Page 3, last bullet, should read This item will be covered under Update on Industrial Park. Page 4, bottom of the page, the motion should include the sentence This recommendation will be forwarded to the Development Subcommittee for further discussion. Commissioners Moran and Brown, respectively, moved and seconded that the Commission approve the minutes, as amended. The motion passed unanimously. III. Visitor Comments REACH Air Ambulance - Jim Adams Dan Mason noted that REACH Air Ambulance, stationed in Santa Rosa, California, was scheduled to send a representative to the meeting to introduce their company. The representative was unable to attend. REACH is seriously considering establishing an air ambulance/helicopter service at the airport. Good Samaritan Hospital and the City are both very supportive of this venture. REACH would like to begin service as soon as possible. Assuming the Commission concurs with the recommendations of the ADRC, the recommendation would need to be taken to the Urban Services Committee on the same day as the next Commission meeting. Urban Services Committee would then forward the recommendation to City Council. Assuming City Council consent, REACH is hopeful of becoming operational May 1. IV. New Business Phelan Corporate Hangar Lease Dan cited the ADRC report dated November, 2005, which stated Eric Dapp, representing Rick and Ron Phelan, has requested permission to put another corporate hangar next to Mr. Dapp s hangar. Commissioners Gleaves and Picht, respectively, moved and seconded that the Commission approve the Phelan corporate hangar lease as stated. The motion passed unanimously.

3 Page 3 Airspace Change Request Background: Dan received a call from the FAA Center in Seattle saying the Center is considering a request to change the airspace over the airport to Class E airspace from Class G airspace and noted that the airport s operations would not change. A Coast Guard pilot called the FAA to ask for a review of a change in airspace so that it would be controlled down to the surface. Currently, at 700 feet Above Ground Level (AGL), it becomes Class E airspace, below 700 feet AGL it is currently uncontrolled, Class G airspace. The FAA asked Dan for a recommendation from the City regarding its approval or disapproval of the airspace change. Discussion: Dan introduced Ruthann Couch, Manager of the FAA tower in Eugene, and Tom Mock, Support Specialist. Ms Couch and Mr. Mock attended the meeting to answer any questions which may arise. Ms Couch said any change would be preceded by an extended comment period and public meetings. Mr. Mock said the result of an airspace change would be a restriction during reduced weather situations. Currently, the FAA has no control over airspace below 700 feet. A change to Class E would take the control to the surface up to five miles around the airport. Mr. Mock estimated the impact as minimal to airport users. Mr. Mock was asked about the effect upon helicopter operations during reduced visibility in the event of an airspace change. If a helicopter is below VFR minimums, a special VFR clearance would be needed. Dan talked about FAA Order series and how it refers to E2 to the surface and whether it s a 4 or a 5 mile minimum. Rod Lockrem of Honey B, LLC, said his company is unequivocally against the proposed airspace change. The change would significantly reduce the days of the year his company could conduct helicopter training and hover practice in reduced visibility. Commissioner Gleaves agreed that a change would negatively impact airport operations. Mr. Mock was asked about holes in radar coverage north of the Corvallis airport. He said the radar site located in Eugene has an anomaly in its coverage. The FAA has been working on correcting the problem for years. Jim Moran asked Mr. Mock if solving the holes problem of reduced radar coverage at the Corvallis airport would eliminate the need for airspace change. Mr. Mock said he did not definitively know the answer but he thought the airspace change would still be needed even after the holes in radar coverage was solved.

4 Page 4 Commissioners Gleaves and Parsons, respectively, moved and seconded that the Commission recommend disapproval of the airspace change request. Discussion followed regarding the motion. Commissioner Parsons said the airport is so busy at times, especially during the summer, that it is safer to fly at a lower altitude. Dan Mason said he spoke to Ron Gustafson, HTSI s representative, who said HTSI s official position is that they are unequivocally against approval of the request. Dan said his observations at the airport have shown him that pilots use the airspace in a safe and conscientious manner. The motion passed unanimously. V. Old Business There was no Old Business. VI. Update on Industrial Park Mysty Rusk said Commissioner Gleaves joined her in taking a group of elected officials on a tour of the Airport Industrial Park. A shovel ready application was submitted for the Airport Industrial Park. It was requested by the State that the application be withdrawn because of configuration problems with the areas being proposed. A third-party reviewer is expected in June to help with meeting the State s criteria. There are four leads for recruitment of airport lessees, two have already been turned in. Dan Mason reported that he and Jon Katin have been attempting to finalize an agreement to acquire acreage which would ease the problems of wetlands mitigation. Mr. Mason also met with the Adair Village City Manager about acquiring use of a one-hundred acre parcel being offered as a mitigation site. The City is still considering this offer. VII. Update on Airport Dan distributed flyers on the Bend Fly Safe Clinic to be held at Bend Airport June 2-3. There will be safety seminars on mountain flying and other tips for flying into higher altitude airports. Dan went over the Madison Avenue Meeting Room s guidelines and layout. The Commission was asked for its input on the meeting room. Several Commissioners mentioned the heat being set too high. VIII. Update on FBO s Rod Lockrem proposed a new building for Corvallis Aero Service. He requested the

5 Page 5 Airport Design Review Committee meet to review his conceptual plans. Once the site and general configuration of the building are approved, an architect will draw up the plans. IX. Update on City Council Councilor Griffiths was not present. X. Information Sharing Commissioner Rose expressed concern about the use of modular buildings. Bill Gleaves said it is written in the guidelines that modular buildings are not permitted. Monthly Financial Report There was no comment on the Monthly Financial Report. The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 am. NEXT MEETING: April 4, 2006, 7:00 am, Madison Avenue Meeting Room