AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA 
Thursday, March 9, 2023 
5:30pm 
Airport Administration Building 
8807 Airport Boulevard 
Leesburg, Florida  

1. Call to Order

• • Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

2. Selection of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson 

3. Approval of Minutes – February 9, 2023   

4. Project Update

• • Main Ramp Resurfacing
  • FY 2022 Hangar Design
  • Wildlife hazard Assessment
  • Fuel Farm Design
  • Taxiways Alpha & Delta Rehab Design
  • Veterans Road Infrastructure Design/Construction

5. Airport Manager Update

• • City Commission – Airport Impacts/Issues

6. New Business  

7. 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

Attendance:                Darel Craine 
                                           Joel Hargis                               
                                           Marvin King 
                                           Bo Wroten

Call to Order

Vice-Chairman Bo Wroten called the meeting to order at 5:32pm.

Vice-Chairman Wroten gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Selection of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

Joel Hargis nominated Bo Wroten as Chairman, noting his experience on the Board.  Marvin King seconded the nomination.  There was no further discussion and the motion was approved unanimously.  Darel Craine nominated Byron Oldham as Vice-Chairman.  Joel Hargis seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.

Approval of Minutes from February 9, 2023

 Chairman Wroten made a motion to approve the minutes from the February 9, 2023 meeting.  Darel Craine seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.

Project Update

Main Ramp Resurfacing:  Jack Thompson from GAI said this project is close to being done.  Dan Nickols has been out to look at the area by the Brainerd hangar that was noted at the last Airport Advisory Board meeting.  A meeting has been set up with the contractor for next Tuesday to go over this issue.  There are a handful of spots that need to be addressed.  The work will come under the project warranty.  It is a workmanship matter.  The material all met required specs.

Marvin King asked in anything could have been done to tighten the specs in order to prevent this.  Jack Thompson said the material met Federal specs so there is nothing you can do with that.  This is a tighter area that is more challenging to work in which is partly why there is this problem. 

Marvin King asked for the duration of the warranty.  Jack Thompson said it is one year.  He noted that the pavement should last 20 years without needing additional attention for about 10 years.  Joel Hargis asked if the pavement can be seal coated.  Jack Thompson said it should not be seal coated until it has had time to completely cure.  They would most likely not consider sealcoating for 5-7 years. 

FY 2022 Hangar Design:  Jack Thompson from GAI said the bid packet for Phase I of this project (site work & infrastructure – taxilanes, drainage, utility relocations, etc.) is almost ready.  It should be out in the next six weeks.  FDOT grant funds will be available for this project.

Joel asked when they will decide on what type of hangars will be built first.  Airport Manager (AM) Tracey Dean said the schedule calls for the site work and asphalt to be finished first.  Then in fiscal year ’24 the plan calls for construction of one building using grant funds and possibly a second building using airport cash.  That decision will not be made for a while yet.  Jack Thompson noted that the building designs are part of the initial phase but the actual construction is planned for later.

Wildlife Hazard Assessment:  Jack Thompson from GAI said the study is a little over half-way done.  The mid-term report shows ground animals are the main issue.  The biologists are on-site today making observations and will actually be here tonight after dark as well.  He noted the airport is continuing with efforts to control hogs.  AM Dean said the new contractor has taken 40 hogs off property since he started in September. 

Jack Thompson said this is a yearlong process.  At the end there will be recommendations made in the form of a Wildlife Management Plan.  He said that the Plan will certainly have fencing as part of the measures and will include methods such as burying the fence or some type of skirting to deter animals from digging underneath it to come on property.  They will determine which method is most cost-effective.  There will be grant funds available for that work. 

Fuel Farm:  Jack Thompson from GAI said they have started the first steps on this project.  The surveying is underway and the geo-tech is also in process.  Chairman Wroten asked what the geo-tech is looking for.  Jack Thompson said they do borings between 10-15 feet deep which they need to determine the makeup of soils that are underground in that area.  The tanks are very heavy and they need to make sure the ground can support them. 

Marvin King asked if the primary reason for relocating the fuel farm was the warranty issue.  Jack Thompson said there were several things.  One was the concern about the tank warranty.  There were also some constraints at the current location that were a factor.  That included the small area being an issue for aircraft passing each other and aircraft waiting for fuel blocking a taxiway.   There is also room for a larger jet fuel tank that will hold 20,000 gallons at the new site.  Marvin King noted that this indicates both safety concerns and the warranty were considerations in the decision.           

Taxiways Alpha & Delta Rehab Design:  This project is for the relocation of Alpha 2 and rehab of Delta, Alpha 1 and Alpha 3.  The application has been submitted to the FAA.  The FAA has responded to advise it is approved and is in their process.  Joel Hargis asked if there is a timeline.  Jack Thompson said the design phase is scheduled for this year.  Construction is scheduled for fiscal year ‘25.  There is a possibility it could be moved to ’24 if everything is ready.  Joel Hargis said that Delta is very active and asked how long it would take for that work to be done.  Jack Thompson said they project will be done in phases and they will plan it the best way they can.  It is going to be a pain no matter how they do it.  It should only take a couple of months.  Joel Hargis said he would love to see this work done in the summer months when traffic is a little slower.  Jack Thompson said the work has to be done based on when the grant is issued. 

Veterans Road Infrastructure Design/Construction:  Jack Thompson from GAI said the survey is done and the geo-tech is almost done.  A meeting is scheduled tomorrow with all the City utility departments to see what can be done with the various lines that cross the property.  Some may need to be relocated and there is a possibility that some can be abandoned.  They must determine what each department needs to have done.

Joel Hargis asked if Dr. Curry has executed the agreement for this area.  AM Dean said she does have the signed lease agreement.  She is still waiting for the performance bond the Commission required.  AM Dean spoke with his office manager today and she is hoping to have the bond by the end of the week.  There was an issue because the application was submitted under the brand-new LLC that was created for this project so there is no financial history for the bond company to review.  The office manager believes they have worked through that concern.  AM Dean said she knows they have been diligently trying to get this resolved.

Airport Manager Update

• City Commission – Airport Impacts/Issues

AM Dean said she has no items.

New Business

AM Dean said there have been some discussions over time about getting a new compass rose painted at the airport.  The compass rose that used to be here was demo’d in 2009 during the runway 13/31 extension project and it was never repainted.  She was recently contact by the Ninety-Nines, a women’s pilot organization, who have offered to paint a compass rose at no charge if the airport pays for the needed survey and provides the paint.  AM Dean said the New Smyrna airport is working on one now and their cost for the survey and materials was around $2,000.

Joel Hargis asked where it would go.  AM Dean said she thinks the best place would be one of the run-up areas.  Chairman Wroten said he would be in favor of it.  He believes the run-up on runway 1/3 would be the best site.  Darel Craine asked for the life of the pavement at that location.  Jack Thompson said at least 10 years.  Joel Hargis wondered why the Ninety-Nines are pushing this.  He said the compass rose is fairly antiquated and most modern aircraft would not use it.  Chairman Wroten asked Brian Sapp of SunAir Aviation if any of his planes would use this.  Brian Sapp said it would come in handy.  AM Dean said this would not be used for calibration.  In 2014 the former airport manager, Leo Treggi, found that we cannot have a calibration pad here due to FAA rules and the configuration of the airport.  Jack Thompson noted that to be used for calibration it cannot be near anything with metal – that includes buildings, lights, etc. 

AM Dean said she has no opinion on this issue.  The cost is minimal so she has no problem if the Board is in favor of it.  The operating budget can handle this expense.  She noted that the Ninety-Nines have done this at several airports including Williston, Lakeland, Arcadia, Valkaria and the Flying Baron.  Joel Hargis said the Ninety-Nines are a good group.  They support women in aviation and more of that needs to be done.  Chairman Wroten asked if the Board needs to make an official motion on this item.  AM Dean said she does need direction from the Board.

Bo Wroten said he can argue both sides of this.  He knows the home-builts and older aircraft would use it.  AM Dean said she can send an email blast to get feedback from airport tenants.  In April she can let the Board know what the result of that is.  Chairman Wroten and Joel Hargis said that is a good first step.  There was a consensus to table the item and have her send the email and discuss this again at the April meeting.

Ned Bowers from Skybolt asked if there is a timeframe for when the new corporate maintenance hangars will be done.  AM Dean noted that he is on the waitlist for two of the four new commercial hangars that are planned.  Chairman Wroten said that decision has not been made. A lot depends on the determination of exactly what utility work has to be done on the site.  It will probably be a tossup between t-hangars and the commercial hangars.  The consultants will also provide recommendations on the order that the buildings are constructed.  They are not at a point in the project yet where that decision needs to be made.  Ned Bowers said they are running out of room and he is having to pass up on getting new equipment because he has nowhere to put it.  They have already expanded into their parking lot.  He expressed his gratitude to the City for the help on upgrading their electric service.  Joel Hargis said Skybolt would have an option to expand into the new sites planned for the Veterans Road area.  AM Dean said for logistical reasons, proximity to their current site is an important factor for them.  Ned Bowers said there are also financial considerations.  He noted that Skybolt brings a lot of value to the airport community.  Chairman Wroten reiterated that they cannot make a timeline commitment at this point.

 Adjournment

Darel Craine made a motion to adjourn.  The motion was seconded by Joel Hargis and the meeting adjourned at 6:08pm.

Byron Oldham                                      
Vice-Chairman

Pam Hester                                  
Recorder