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03/06/2002AIRPORT AUTHORITY MEETING CITY OF CLEARWATER Present: Brenda Harris Nixon Chair Gary Benjamin Board Member Ron Streicher Board Member Bruce Miller Board Member Bob Lunt Board Member Also Present: Jane Hayman Assistant City Attorney William Morris Marine and Aviation Director (arrived 3:07/departed 3:31 p.m.) Gordon Wills Airpark Operations Manager Brenda Moses Board Reporter The Chair called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. at City Hall. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. ITEM 2 - February 6, 2002 Minutes Approval The Chair requested regarding the regular minutes of February 6, 2002, that under Item 3, sentence 1 of paragraph 4 read “… there is a prospective party…”; under Item 5, sentence 3 of paragraph 4 read “… City contract benefits…”; under Item 5, sentence 1 of paragraph 7 read “Bob Bickerstaffe said…”; and under Item 5, sentence 3 of paragraph 6 read “… the City seems to always penalize residents…”. Member Benjamin moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of February 2, 2002, as amended. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ITEM 3 – Tenant & Lease report from FBO David King, FBO (Fixed Based Operator), reported the same number of hardstands and tiedowns as last month. He said there are currently 57 people waiting for T-hangars and another 50 are on a waiting list for shade hangars, although some names on the lists are duplicates. He said he felt 90% of the people on the waiting list would want T-hangars, as they are enclosed and provide more privacy. He said he reconfirmed that 3 people are interested in corporate hangars. The maintenance hangars are full and Mr. King plans to hire 1- 2 more full time mechanics to keep up with the demand. The flight school business is increasing. The Airpark software program to track pilots is fully functional. Mr. King said 95% of the arrangements for the Clearwater Airpark Open House on April 20, 2002 are complete. In response to a question, Airpark Operations Manager Gordon Wills said he is unaware of any changes in safety regulations or FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) restrictions at the airpark. Mr. King said plans are to build a large hangar to house the tenants who are waiting to occupy corporate hangars. Mr. Wills said as soon as PBS&J (Post, Buckley, Shuh, and Jernigan, Inc.) submits their final survey to SWFWMD (Southwest Florida Water Management District) in August 2002, and SWFWMD approves the permits, plans are to break ground on a large corporate hangar at the airpark. It was requested that PBS&J provide the AAB, (Airport Authority Board), with a status report of their progress for the next meeting. Marine and Aviation Director Bill Morris said since staff anticipated a lengthy timeframe for SWFWMD approval, staff has been working with the FBO and Klaus Palinkas of HNTB Corporation, to ensure there are no further delays with construction of the corporate hangar. ITEM 4 – Other Business Mr. Morris thanked Mr. Wills for a job well done with the airpark security project. He said after staff’s request to the City Commission was approved to approach the FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) for funding a security system at the airpark, a JPA (Joint Participation Agreement) was developed. Mr. Wills received competitive bids and is proceeding with implementation of the security system. Mr. Wills said the video equipment and gated access system will cost approximately $40,000. A card reader system will be implemented instead of a Code-based system. The gated system will scan the time a patron enters the airpark. There will be 16 cameras throughout the airpark including one at each end of every hangar. The security system can be accessed by the City’s Police Department. Mr. Wills was able to negotiate a reduction in the price from $55,000 to $40,000. The entire system will be 100% funded by the FDOT. In response to a question, Mr. Wills said there will still be a security guard stationed at the airpark to provide direct access for neighbors. It was suggested that after a period of time, it might not be necessary to retain the Police Aide if the video security system is successful. Mr. Wills referred to an article in Monday’s St. Petersburg Times, Clearwater Times section, regarding Nicole Stott, an astronaut in training at NASA. Mr. Wills said Ms. Stott learned to fly at the Clearwater Airpark. Mr. Wills asked her for an autographed picture of herself to exhibit at the airpark. He also invited her to attend the airpark open house on April 20, 2002. Mr. Wills said the City’s advisory board dinner is scheduled for March 19, 2002, at the Harborview Center. Members Benjamin and Streicher have not replied to the City Manager’s office regarding their attendance. Discussion ensued regarding activities at the Airpark Open House on April 20, 2002. Mr. Wills said he met with a Civil Air Patrol representative who works at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa to request military aircraft participation. Mr. King said he has spoken to officials from the Hidden Lake Airpark to ask for their participation. It was remarked that certain types of aircraft require special permission to fly at the Clearwater Airpark. It was suggested that Mr. King develop a form to be signed by both the FBO and the pilot in such instances. It was felt that as many different types of aircraft as can be accommodated for the Open House would be of interest to the public. ITEM 5 – Agenda for next meeting April 3, 2002 This topic was not discussed, except that it had been suggested that PBS&J provide a status report on their activities. ITEM 6 – Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 3:43 p.m.