WICOMICO COUNTY AIRPORT COMMISSION MAY 8, 2017

Transcription

1 WICOMICO COUNTY AIRPORT COMMISSION MAY 8, 2017 Present: Staff: Other: John Hall, Chairman; Matthew E. Creamer, Vice Chairman; Nola Arnold; James Brooke; Gerard DiCairano; Calvin Peacock Dawn Veatch; David Hynes; Denise Shellaby; Wayne Strausburg, Administrator David Goslee; David Ryan, Ex-Officio Members; Patrick Nelms, Bay Land Aviation; Ken Lennox CALL TO ORDER Chairman Hall called the meeting to order at 3 p.m. MINUTES The April 10, 2017 minutes were approved. FLY IN UPDATE The Fly In needs more sponsors. Half of the $5,000 funding goal has been received. The aircraft display consists of two military A-10s, a Seahawk, a T-6 Texan, and a UH 72 Dakota. The Maryland State Police, WBOC, and Dr. Rosenthal s helicopter will also be on display. The food and adult beverage trucks have been arranged. The Tourism Department is working on hotel accommodations for the pilots. Mr. Brooke has contacted the Wicomico Public Works and Recreation and Parks Departments for barricades, fencing, and traffic cones. Bay Land Aviation will sponsor the pancake breakfast with Civil Air Patrol serving. Mr. Peacock inquired if the airport could display a donation jar since Civil Air Patrol cannot solicit donations. Mrs. Veatch will be a guest on two local radio talk shows promoting the event. Six to eight hundred attendees are expected. Mr. Brooke apologized to Mrs. Arnold regarding the event photography. Mrs. Arnold is an amateur photographer and will be taking pictures at the Fly In. Mr. Brooke has already acquired a photographer. Mrs. Arnold suggested having a photography contest at next year s event. Mrs. Veatch encouraged all photographers consolidate their pictures so they can be deposited on the website. Mrs. Veatch thanked Commissioners Brooke, DiCairano, and Arnold for all their assistance with putting together the Fly In. In turn, Mr. DiCairano thanked Mr. Veatch for his help. NEW OPPORTUNITIES Airport Management has been discussing a proposal from the Infinity Flight School with the Wicomico County Executive s Office. The school would be located on the second floor of the old terminal. Requests for proposals are being drafted for the flight school, a 38,000 square feet corporate hangar, and a new T-Hangar building. Mr. DiCairano inquired as to how the hangars will be funded and was advised it would be a public/private partnership. Mr. Brooke asked if there were any plans to paint the hangars. Mrs. Veatch is attempting to get the repairs funded in the current fiscal year, but may possibly have to wait until FY18. MINI MASTER PLAN Airport Management met with the Federal Aviation Administration last week, and the environmental portion of the master plan may be excluded. The master plan update, along with signage, a passenger lounge, terminal redesign, and the refurbishment of the terminal restrooms will be funded under passenger facility charge application number 5. The short term plan will focus on new T-Hangars,

2 corporate hangars, and the UAS/drone operating area. The long term plan will cover taxiway B north rehabilitation and the runway 32 overrun/displaced threshold. There has been no conclusion with regards to the feasibility study. The terminal emergency generator bid has been awarded to Rommel Electric. The snow removal building and equipment will be funded by passenger facility charge application number 6. Mrs. Veatch will provide a forward funding budget report to the Executive Office. NEW IMAGE The new airport sign has been installed. The built sign is not as the drawings indicated. Due to a delay with the carpet installation, the Airport Management office will not be relocating back to the second floor until after the Fly In. Mr. Hayes from Wicomico General Services is working on the passenger/conference room drawings. Once the passenger lounge is established, food service will begin. CHAIRMAN S REPORT Mr. Goslee commented about the newspaper article concerning the fire service negotiations between the County and City. Mr. Hall advised that there has been no decision made, and it would be in the airport s best interest to hire their own aircraft rescue and fire fighters until the fire department issue is resolved. Two qualified Wallops Island firemen have been hired to augment the Piedmont ARFF program. Mrs. Veatch is researching a turnkey company to run the ARFF program. Mr. Hall added the Federal Aviation Administration has been very accommodating in the short term. PUBLIC COMMENTS Mr. Goslee inquired as to the status of Piedmont s regional jets. Mrs. Veatch advised Piedmont has provided data, but Airport Management has a different opinion on the length required for EMB 145 Operations. If it is only 60 feet short of the FAA requirements, it might be possible to acquire a 60 foot waiver. There is a specific combination including fuel, passenger load, and outside temperature that would determine if a jet would need the maximum runway length. The temperature combination has not happened in the last five years and their Greenville SC (GSO) alternate airport, might could be changed to an airport closure to Charlotte which would require less fuel. AIRPORT COMMISSION COMMENTS Mr. DiCairano asked for an update regarding aircraft washing. Mrs. Veatch has advised that a water recapture system opportunity may be presenting itself. The project would not be Federal Aviation Administration funding eligible, but may be Maryland Aviation Administration eligible. ADMINSTRATOR S COMMENTS Mr. Strausburg commended and complimented the Airport Commission and the Airport Management staff for the tremendous progress with all the refreshing changes at the airport. Mr. Peacock thanked the Executive Office for their support. The County Council supports the budget, and it should be passed without the need for a hearing. Since the airport does not charge Piedmont landing fees, Piedmont provides ARFF service in return. Mr. Strausburg advised $300,000 from the general fund has been dedicated to the ARFF program. Half of the cost will be paid through landing fees. Mrs. Veatch is researching landing fees at similar airports. Mr. Strausburg is concerned about the FY17 operating budget and reserve fund. NEXT MEETING The next meeting will be held Monday, June 12, 2017 in the Wicomico County Council Chambers.

3 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 3:50 p.m. John Hall, Chairman

4 WICOMICO COUNTY AIRPORT COMMISSION FEBRUARY 13, 2017 Present: Staff: Other: Matthew E. Creamer, Vice Chairman; Nola Arnold; James Brooke; Gerard DiCairano; April Jackson; Calvin Peacock Dawn Veatch; David Hynes; Denise Shellaby David Goslee, Ex-Officio Member; Duane Frantz, Jack Levering, Mel Snyder, T-hangar Tenants CALL TO ORDER Vice Chairman Creamer called the meeting to order at 3 p.m. INTRODUCTION Vice Chairman Creamer introduced and welcomed new Airport Manager Dawn Veatch. Mrs. Veatch proceeded with a brief biography of her experience, which includes being a pilot, her 30+ years with the Federal Aviation Administration, and her last position with Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The Airport Commissioners also introduced themselves. MARYLAND STATE TAX BILLS Mrs. Veatch explained there are two Maryland State tax bills that need to be supported. The first is a maintenance tax bill to exclude taxation on parts and labor. The other is a fuel definition bill. Due to the new specifications on unleaded fuel, aviation fuel is included. The Maryland Aviation Administration is supporting both bills, and Vice Chairman Creamer will ask the County Executive to write a letter of support as well. Mr. Brooke stated that Senator Eckhardt and Delegate Anderton are on board with Senate Bill 159. He is still waiting for a response from Delegate Sample-Hughes and Senator Mathias. SAFETY AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE The airport is in process of a regulatory compliance audit. An Emergency Plan tabletop exercise has been scheduled with Wicomico Emergency Management for February 12. Airport Management has requested both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration postpone their annual inspections until the airport conducts its own self audit and action plan. The Baltimore/Washington International Airport is sending down a team to evaluate the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting equipment. The government has surplus fire equipment that the airport may be able to obtain. The open gates at the airport are a security concern. The current system is outdated. The employee parking lot will soon be locked, and tenants will be given codes to access the lot. Training is needed for tenants that have access to the Airport Operations Area. Airport Management is also checking into relocating eagles to the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge. DELTA AIRPORT CONSULTANTS Delta Airport Consultants continue to design and develop engineering improvements at the airport. The HVAC project is almost finished and the baggage belt project should be finished by March 1. The emergency generator project should be starting soon. MINI MASTER PLAN

5 The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring the current master plan to be updated. The runway 32 overrun/displaced threshold project is still in the planning and budgeting phase. It will not be Federal or State funded. An area is to be designated for unmanned aircraft systems (drones). Opportunities need to be expanded for new corporate hangars, and a decision needs to be made whether to refurbish the T- hangars or replace them with new corporate hangars. A public/private partnership is needed to fund new hangars. Mr. DiCairano will forward his report to Mrs. Veatch addressing the cost benefit analysis for the north T-hangars. A plan would be put together to relocate current T-hangar tenants. First State Packaging is currently in the eviction process and once the hangar is vacant, it will become the airport s fire station. The building can save a lot in insurance costs if it becomes a dual purpose (airport and business/personal) fire house. A restaurant could also be located on top of the building. Restaurants are typically leased options but it all depends on the public/private partnership. NEW IMAGE A new logo was presented to the Commission. It has been approved by both Chairman Hall and Administrator Strausburg. Mrs. Veatch wants to change the image of the airport and renovate the office with new furniture, paint, and carpet. She would like to set up a multi-purpose conference center that can be leased out as a venue. Mrs. Veatch has obtained approval from the County Attorneys to have area restaurants provide food along with beer and wine in this area. The space would be free for the restaurants, but in return, the airport would get free catering for meetings and events. The rental cars will be moving their overflow parking back to the terminal area. Piedmont Airlines Dash 8 aircraft are temporarily parked near the fuel farm and will be relocated to the closed taxiway E until they are flown to the desert. COMMUNICATIONS Mrs. Veatch would like to hold a T-hangar tenant meeting during the first week of March in the conference center to discuss the change in the gate lock system on the airfield. Vice Chairman Creamer advised upon approval by the Airport Manager, Mr. DiCairano can pass out a survey at the meeting and have Ms. Cheryl Phillips post a story on the website advising of all the new staff members at the airport. Mrs. Veatch would like to obtain addresses of all tenants so information can be disseminated efficiently. Once staffing is complete, in addition to the website, the airport will have a Twitter and Facebook page. Mrs. Veatch will be putting the website, Twitter, and Facebook information on her business cards. ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH Mrs. Veatch presented a short video America s Community Airports Going Higher to address the economic impact value of airports. With funding, pilot associations can help mentor students. The Pilots and Paws program to relocate animals is a great resource to train today s youth. PUBLIC COMMENTS Mr. Levering commented that Executive Culver and the selection committee did a wonderful job with appointing Mrs. Veatch as Airport Manager. AIRPORT COMMISSION COMMENTS Mr. DiCairano inquired if television monitors for advertising can be utilized. Mrs. Veatch will check into it as the terminal is re-vamped. Mr. Goslee questioned the status of the maintenance building clean up. Mr. Hynes advised all items, including the aircraft and vehicles, were auctioned off. The hills still need to be leveled out and landscaped. Mrs. Veatch added that the family of the cemetery needs to be contacted so it can be relocated. Mrs. Arnold stated that the Airport Commission needs more

6 notification as to updates at the airport. The Executive staff meets weekly with the Airport Manager, Chairman, and Vice Chairman. Further communication should come from either Chairman Hall or Vice Chairman Creamer. NEXT MEETING The next meeting will be held March 13, ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 4:35 p.m. Matthew E. Creamer, III, Vice Chairman