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11/02/2022 Airpark Advisory Board Meeting Minutes November 2, 2022 City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 2, 2022 3:00 PM Main Library - Council Chambers Airpark Advisory Board Page 1 City of Clearwater Airpark Advisory Board Meeting Minutes November 2, 2022 Rollcall Present 5 - Chair Kelli O'Donnell, Board Member John Renton, Board Member George Davis, Board Member Roger Schulman, and Ex Officio Bruce Brock Also Present— Eric Gandy — Marine & Aviation Director, Michael MacDonald - Marine & Aviation Operations Manager, Nicole Sprague — Deputy City Clerk 1. Call To Order The Chair called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. at the Main Library. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approval of August 3, 2022, Airpark Advisory Board Meeting Minutes. Member Davis moved to approve the minutes of the August 3, 2022 Airpark Advisory Board meeting as submitted in written summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 2.2 Approval of September 9, 2022, Airpark Advisory Board Special Meeting Minutes. Member Schulman moved to approve the minutes of the September 9, 2022 Airpark Advisory Board meeting as submitted in written summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda Lisa Lanza said the city has not funded the airpark like they have other projects such as the Harbor Marina and suggested fundraising might be a good opportunity. 4. New Business Items 4.1 Fixed-Base Operator's Verbal Quarterly Update. Chair O'Donnell thanked FBO (Fixed Base Operator) representatives David King and Barbara Cooper for their help in preparing the airpark for Hurricane Ian. Ms. Cooper reported on tenant levels and visitors. She said there are Page 2 City of Clearwater Airpark Advisory Board Meeting Minutes November 2, 2022 150 names on the waitlist for available spots and 99% are for the T hangars or shade hangars. She said there was a lot of prep for the hurricane and most people came in to secure their planes or to move them out of the area; the flight school moved all the planes that did not fit in the hangar to Georgia. The only damage sustained in Hurricane Ian was a couple downspouts that came off the building and some tree branches. Wind closed the airpark the first day of the storm and the second day the power was out. She said the Young Eagles rally is on November 12, 2022 in conjunction with a blood drive. She said there was an incident where a stolen vehicle hit the north gate, which stopped the vehicle. The suspect fled and was located by police. The north gate remains inoperative. In response to questions, Ms. Cooper said the Coast Guard stored their vehicles at the airpark for the storm event. She said she has been through several storms over the years and knows what needs to be done. 5. Old Business Items: None. 6. Director's Report 6.1 Director's Verbal Report Marine and Aviation Director Eric Gandy provided an update on items that the board has discussed in the past. He said the fiber was run for additional cameras to be installed for security coverage, the fiber had been cut in the past during a construction project and it has been replaced. He said the board's annual Council update is scheduled for the first part of next year. He said the FIyUSA lease negotiations are ongoing and much of the agreement is centered around public input that was provided. The current FBO lease has been extended for two months with a couple renewal options to allow time to continue negotiations with FIyUSA. He said he spoke with a representative from the FAA regarding grant funding and was informed that in order to accept funding, the airpark must be open 24/7, which would violate the city's code regarding hours of take offs and landings and must allow all classes of aircraft, unless a safety argument can be made. He looked at the history of capital funding and opportunities through the years and said Penny for Pinellas money has been used and is slated to be used for a new terminal in 2027. General fund dollars have been used in the past as leverage for federal funding. He said an annual depreciation of the facility has not been accounted for and only$25,000 per year has been put in reserves. He said staff will Page 3 City of Clearwater Airpark Advisory Board Meeting Minutes November 2, 2022 research other potential funding sources or grants. Valued engineering decisions were made in the past with funding spent on a new revenue source rather than repairing existing issues. In response to questions, Mr. Gandy said the Landings Golf Course is not part of the airpark lease agreement. He said there is no room to accommodate additional hangars unless the city acquires additional property. He said nothing has been published recently for the public regarding the airpark. He said he has been in contact with the Clerk's office regarding the board vacancy, but he has not seen an application. A comment was made that individuals do not have to wait for a board position opening to submit a board application. Mr. Gandy said the Sustainability Coordinator has just returned from being out of the office on leave and will provide a presentation to the board at the next meeting. 7. Board Members to be Heard 7. Board Members to be Heard Chair O'Donnell said she reviewed the history of the airpark and the history of the previous Airpark Authority that then became the Airpark Advisory Board and what authorities the board has. She said it appears the board, in addition to initiating studies, may have authority to discuss improvements or maintenance that the board would like to see done or are hearing about from tenants. She said she would like to see the board more active, and expressed a concern that Council is not aware of the airpark needs. She said she created a history timeline that Mr. Gandy would distribute to the board. In response to a question, she said the transition from Authority to Advisory Board happened in 2002. She said she would like the board to work closer with the new FBO. Mr. Gandy said Council is provided the board meeting minutes for review and are aware of board activity, discussions, and concerns. One individual suggested creating a "Friends of Clearwater Airpark"group to help with raising funds for improvements. One individual suggested the city create an informational one-pager with historical and statistical data, similar to one created for the Marina in 2014, for residents and visitors. 8. Adjourn Page 4 City of Clearwater Airpark Advisory Board Attest: Meeting Minutes The meeting adjourned at 3:48 p.m. November 2, 2022 Chair, Airpark Advisory Board Board Rep•rter City of Clearwater Page 5