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Date:  Thursday August 08, 2019 (08/08/19)

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AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA
Thursday, August 8, 2019
5:30pm
Airport Administration Building
8807 Airport Boulevard
Leesburg, Florida

1.  Call to Order
      -   Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

2.  Approval of Minutes – July 11, 2019

3.  Fourth Amendment to Lease with SunAir Aviation for 32901 Wilco Drive

4.  Rental Agreement with SunAir Aviation for Corporate Block Hangar #3

5.  Airport Signage at Wilco Drive and Echo Drive

6.  Project Update:

    • Master Plan
    • Storage Hangar Design
    • Runway 13/31 Rehab

7.  Airport Manager Update

8.  New Business

9.  Adjournment

PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES NEEDING ASSISTANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THESE PROCEEDINGS SHOULD CONTACT THE HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE, ADA COORDINATOR, 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING AT 352-728-9740.


 

 Airport Advisory Board Minutes
August 8, 2019 5:30pm
Airport Administration Building
8807 Airport Boulevard
Leesburg, Florida

Attendance:               Mark Crawford
                                    Byron Oldham
                                    Alan Reisman
                                    Bo Wroten

Call to Order

Chairman Alan Reisman called the meeting to order at 5:30pm.  Chairman Reisman gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Approval of Minutes from July 11, 2019 Meeting

Bo Wroten made a motion to approve the minutes from the July 11, 2019 meeting as written.  Mark Crawford seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.

Fourth Amendment to Lease with SunAir Aviation for 32901 Wilco Drive

Airport Manager (AM) Dean said this lease is for the recently built hangar on Wilco.  Brian Sapp would like to be able to offer full service maintenance to tenants whose aircraft are too large to fit in his other hangars.  The current lease for this site does not allow maintenance and he would like that added to the agreement.

Chairman Reisman said he thinks it is a good idea.  Byron Oldham asked if there is a reason maintenance was not included in the lease from the beginning.  Brian Sapp said they simply did not think about it at that time.  Byron Oldham said he has no qualms with amending the lease. 

Bo Wroten made a motion to accept the lease amendment.  Byron Oldham seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.

Rental Agreement with SunAir Aviation for Corporate Block Hangar #3

AM Dean said this agreement is for one of the 60x60 box hangars.  It was most recently leased to Wipaire but they have vacated it.  There is a waiting list for people seeking a commercial hangar.  SunAir has been on the list since 2015.  It should be noted that they actually gave up a lease on one of these box hangars so Wipaire could enter into a lease for the space.

AM Dean noted that a standard lease for these hangars can be approved by the City Manager.  However, this lease was tailored to the FBO and there are several changes from the standard language including things such as allowing for the storage of other aircraft.  This is a mirror image of the lease approved previously for the bunker hangar that is leased by SunAir. 

Chairman Reisman noted it gives them the same ability as leases for their other locations including maintenance.  Since SunAir gave up their hangar for Wipaire, they should have first right of refusal to get it back.

Byron Oldham asked if the lease rate is in line with the bunker hangar.  AM Dean said when she came to the airport these hangars were leased for $1,000 per month.  In keeping with the City Commission’s desire to see no downward movement the previous lease with Wipaire was for $1,100.  That is now the new rate for these hangars.  There is not a CPI increase built into the lease.  It is a one year term that then changes to a month-to-month basis.  Rent can be adjusted after the first year if $1,100 is no longer the market rate.

Bo Wroten made a motion to accept the agreement. 

Mark Crawford asked if SunAir is OK with the lease going to month-to-month after a year.  AM Dean said she sees no reason to change it and Brian Sapp signed it with these terms. 

Bo Wroten noted that this way it does allow for a rent increase if the market calls for it.

Byron Oldham seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.

Airport Signage at Wilco Drive and Echo Drive

AM Dean said the Board has previously discussed options for new airport signs.  Included in their packet is a new option that will match some other City signs around the City. (See Attachment A)  It has a brick base and the airport information is shown above that.  The sign proposed for Wilco would be 13’ tall and the sign at Echo would be 4’ tall.  The idea is to downplay the Echo entrance and draw attention to the Wilco entrance.

There are still challenges to placing a sign at Wilco.  There are utilities in the way on the north side including electric, water and backflow.  There is also a steep elevation drop on that side.  On the south side is the lift station. 

Bo Wroten asked if the words “hangar entrance” could be added to the Echo sign.  AM Dean said they will need to have some type of identifying information on the signs for public awareness.  She said the Wilco sign may highlight “Administration, FBO and US Customs”.  She is still working to fine tune that.

Chairman Reisman asked if the buildup of 5’ is included in the price.   AM Dean said it is.  However, she estimated that height difference so it could change.

Bo Wroten asked if there is a timeline for the project.  AM Dean said if this Board is OK with these signs, she will let the City Manager know.  He will schedule it for a future Commission agenda so the Commissioners can see the design.  It could happen quickly. 

Chairman Reisman said he likes that a local vendor is being used for the work. 

Mark Crawford made a motion to approve the signs as shown.  Bo Wroten seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.

Airport Project Update

Master Plan Update:  Mary Soderstrum from AvCon said the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) is still at the FAA for review.  It typically take five months for their review and they have had it for about a month and a half.  The rest of the Master Plan is ready to go.  It should be finished within about a month after the FAA completes their final review.

Storage Hangar Design:  AM Dean said the 100% plans were submitted to the City and the Building Department has approved them.  She will meet with Purchasing next week to coordinate sending it out for the construction bids.  Chairman Reisman said he did not see the hangar project listed during the budget process.  AM Dean said it is in the current year budget, so it will be rolled to next year.

Runway 13/31 Rehab:  AM Dean introduced Doug Norman from Hoyle Tanner and Associates.  AM Dean said this project is waiting for the grant funding to be finalized.  FAA will fund 90% and FDOT will fund 8%.  The grant agreements are scheduled to go to the City Commission on August 12th.   Once the executed documents are received back, the project is ready to go.

Chairman Reisman asked for the project cost.  AM Dean said the design phase is $264,500.  Chairman Reisman asked for confirmation that the airport is responsible to pay 2% of that amount.  AM Dean said that is correct.

Bo Wroten asked how long the project will take.  Doug Norman said they plan to start after Labor Day.  They need to do the geo-tech work and the design process will take four to five months.  Once that is done, they will bid it out and start working on grants to fund the construction phase next year. 

AM Dean said construction is included in next year’s budget.  Chairman Reisman asked if there is an estimate of the construction costs.  Doug Norman said that number won’t be determined until the design is complete.  FAA gave a maximum of $3 million for the project so they are trying to work within that parameter.  They will issue the bid with separate bid schedules so they can break items out and get them done based on priority.   

Airport Manager Update

AM Dean said she looking for additional input from the Board members regarding pricing for the new t-hangars. 

Bo Wroten said he thinks a survey should be done of nearby airports to find out what they charge.  He said our fees should be based on a square foot basis.  He has heard that Eustis is getting $400 for hangars on a grass strip. 

Byron Oldham said there should be a cost analysis done and base the rent amount on the square foot value.  Bo Wroten noted the price per square foot at the airport needs to be consistent.

Chairman Reisman asked what the City Commission said about this during the budget meetings.  AM Dean said she will listen to their comments again.

AM Dean said the t-hangars and corporate hangars are about $3 a square.  Bo Wroten said the lease just approved for the corporate block hangar for SunAir is $3.67 a square foot.  Byron Oldham asked for the size of the new hangars.  Bo Wroten said he will check nearby airports to find out what they charge and how many are on their waiting lists.  Chairman Reisman asked AM Dean if she can gather all the information and have a draft proposal at the next meeting.  AM Dean said she will try.

Mark Crawford asked how many larger airplanes are on the waiting list.  It had been mentioned that we may be able to get a premium for these larger hangars if the need is there.  AM Dean said the consensus at the last meeting was to offer them to the existing tenants first in order of seniority.  If one of them moves it still opens up a hangar.  Then it would be opened to those on the waiting list and if they turn down a space for any reason other than size – but still want to remain on the list - they would move to the bottom.  Mark Crawford noted that demand can drive some of the price.

New Business

Chairman Reisman asked if there is an update on the gates.  AM Dean said lightning took out several pieces of equipment.  Fiber needs to be repaired and updated to get the gate directories back up and she hopes to have that done soon.  Chairman Reisman asked if there is a way to add extra lightning protection.  AM Dean said she has heard several sales pitches about new and expensive protection equipment but the people we use who she considers to be experts on our systems say it is not needed.  Some systems are just more prone to lighting, and our gate system is one of them.  There are alternatives that she has discussed with the contractor we use.  As things go out, they are trying to replace them with newer equipment that is more stand alone and not inter-twined like the current system.  That way, if a piece is damaged it does not affect the whole system like we have happen now. 

Chairman Reisman asked about the obstruction clearing project.  AM Dean said it is complete.  Areas cleared included the end and southeast side of RW 31, the end and southwest side of RW 3, and the southwest side of RW 13.

Chairman Reisman asked about repairs to the roof of Family Furniture.  AM Dean said the work is almost complete.  

Byron Oldham said he would like to jump back to the t-hangar rental discussion.  He would like to make a recommendation that the target should be between $500 and $600 per month based on the numbers we are have discussed.  At $3.00 per square it is at $500 a month and at $3.50 per square it is close to $600.  That would be his recommendation if the Board needs to send something to the Commission.  He thinks this is an equitable cost.  Chairman Reisman asked of the Board needs to do anything else on this.  Bo Wroten said AM Dean needed a recommendation and their recommendation is on the record.

Adjournment

Bo Wroten moved to adjourn.  The motion was seconded by Byron Oldham and approved unanimously.  The meeting adjourned at 6:01pm.

                                                            
Chairman

                                                           
Recorder


ATTACHMENT A -

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