Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport
AUBURN-LEWISTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AUBURN, MAINE
March 15, 2006
A meeting of the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport Board of Directors was held on Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 5:30 p.m. at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport, 80 Airport Drive, Auburn, Maine.
Present: Messrs. Chairman Plourde, Wolf, Jean, Lunt, Ms. Finnigan and Ms. Rowell.
Absent: Dick Metivier.
Also Present: Airport Manager, John McGonagill; HTA Representative Dick Ludders.
The meeting was called to order at 5:35 p.m.
Chairman Plourde commended Mr. Mark Paradis (outgoing airport board member) for his time and contribution to the airport board during his 2-year term as a board member and presented him with a customized reconditioned taxiway light.
ON MOTION BY MS. FINNIGAN SECONDED BY MR. WOLF IT WAS
VOTED (1) TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 9, 2006 AND PLACE THEM ON FILE.
VOTE: 6:0
TREASURER’S REPORT
Chairman Plourde reviewed the treasurer’s report with the board.
ON MOTION BY MS. FINNIGAN SECONDED BY MR. LUNT IT WAS
VOTED (2) TO ACCEPT THE TREASURER’S REPORT AS PRESENTED.
OLD BUSINESS
CROSSLEY PROPERTY
Airport Manager updated the board on the last City Council workshop informing the Auburn Council that the Airport would be coming to the council meeting in April and asks to go forward with the Eminent Domain process. No agreement has been reached with Mr. Crossley; he has not produced a valuation to compare with the airports. The property is part of Christian Hill and in the 50:1 slope, which should be acquired for airport safety. The piece of property is of little value due to being slanted and all ledge, but the FAA requires fair market value to be paid based on a qualified FAA appraisal and a review appraisal. Currently Mr. Crossley has not attempted to respond to our attorney or the airport manager.
SNOWBLOWER RFP
Discussion of completing an Independent Fee Estimator on this project was mentioned, but not approved to go forward. Request the board to approve this next step in getting specifications written for the snow blower, which is reimbursable through the snow blower grant or rolled into the taxiway grant. All companies bidding know it will not be finalized until the end of the FAA fiscal year. Manufacture timeframe is 3 to 8 months.
ON MOTION BY MR. LUNT SECONDED BY MS. FINNIGAN IT WAS
VOTED (3) TO AUTHORIZE THE AIRPORT MANAGER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE INDEPENDENT FEE ESTIMATOR FOR THE REVIEW OF THE SNOW BLOWER COSTS WITH THE HTA ESTIMATE.
NEW BUSINESS
NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN CHANGE
Currently the aircraft traffic pattern is left hand and will remain the same. The change will be for helicopters to use a right hand traffic pattern 500 feet AGL (above ground level). The required information has been submitted to the FBO’s on the field, the FAA, Airfield Directories and posted on the airport web site.
PARALLEL TAXIWAY AND PAC MEETING
Dick Ludders from HTA was here to update the board on these two items. The second PAC meeting focused on different uses of the airport and this third one held on March 9, 2006 concentrated on combine uses of airport cargo, air carrier, general aviation and enhanced general aviation. Occasionally Auburn-Lewiston has aircrafts needing the additional runway extension but demand has not been met for a runway extension. Additional 900 feet of runway requires 500 operations a year requiring that runway length. Aircraft meeting that demand needs to be recorded by the FBO’s and turned into the airport manager’s office for submission to the FAA if the demand is up to 500 operations. Currently there is estimated around 100. The FBO’s will be sent a representative of the types of aircraft they need to record who tell them they cannot come into Auburn-Lewiston due to short runway or when they do come in and have to take less fuel when leaving and need to refuel at another airport shortly due to taking off at Auburn-Lewiston. These aircrafts/companies need to be documented for any extension in the future. All grant applications need to be submitted to the FAA by May 2006. The total project cost is estimated at $5.7 million (95% FAA, 2.5% State, and 2.5% Auburn-Lewiston Airport). The first grant application for the taxiway will cover environmental study, permitting and design. This work is scheduled to be completed by fall of 2006. Estimate cost is $160,000. An Independent Fee Estimator (reimbursable with grant) needs to be contracted to scope out HTA costs and the FAA will allow a difference of 10% of HTA’s estimate. This first phase will give the airport a good idea of cost for construction. A meeting with the FAA is set up to discuss funding availability to go forward with the project to phase two. The second grant application will be submitted in April 2007 for final design, bidding and construction beginning spring 2007. The final design and bidding will be completed before the second grant application is submitted and the airport will have to front costs of approximately $200,000 for about six months before the FAA reimbursement is received. The FAA will not let the airport go forward with the second phase if they do not intend to approve the grant application. (note: FAA funding will be changing back in 2008 to 90%, state 5% and airport 5%)
ON MOITION BY MR. LUNT SECONDED BY MR. WOLF IT WAS
VOTED (4) TO GO FORWARD WITH THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY PHASE ONE FOR THE FAA GRANT APPLICATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY, PERMITTING AND DESIGN AND HIRE AN INDEPENTENT FEE ESTIMATOR TO REVIEW HTA’S NUMBERS OF COST.
OPEN SESSION
Mr. Pohl raised the issue of the UNICOM being used rudely, interference from the other FBO while it is his turn monitoring the UNICOM, and has been used for personal manner of communicating internal business issues. The FAA/FCC advisory guidance does not condone this and it is the airport’s license being jeopardized. The standards should be enforced and the next time inappropriate use of the UNICOM will be brought in on tape for the board to review stated Mr. Pohl.
ON MOTION BY MR. WOLF SECONDED BY MR. LUNT IT WAS
VOTED (5) TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT AGAINST TWIN CITIES AIR SERVICE.
ON MOTION BY MS. ROWELL SECONDED BY MS. FINNIGAN IT WAS
VOTED (6) TO COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 6:50 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
John McGonagill, C.M.
