HomeMy WebLinkAboutAirport Advisory Commission Minutes 021524
TO: Airport Advisory Commission Members
FROM: Michael Doi, Director of Public Works
DATE: February 16, 2024
SUBJECT: MINUTES - Airport Advisory Commission Meeting on February 15, 2024
Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 3:02pm
Roll Call:
Present
Aaron Repp
David Christensen
David Carlton
Phillip Wolford (FBO Rep)
Ken Springer (KCAP Rep)
Absent
Council Liaison Bradley Hix
Ex-Officio
Don Miles (Parks Superintendent)
Michael Doi (Public Works Director)
Michelle Boos (Public Works
Secretary)
Public Members in Attendance
Bill Hurley
Minutes Approval:
A motion was made by Christensen and seconded by Wolford to approve the Minutes of January 18, 2024.
Motion approved by unanimous consent.
Citizen Comments:
None
Updates and Reports:
• FBO Update (Phillip Wolford)
None
• Airport Manager Update (Michael Doi)
o Sent email to FAA representatives requesting information and a meeting to discuss how the
Galesburg airport can become regional.
o Collaborating with Jay Bullis on airport farm crop insurance.
o Per a request from a previous meeting, contacted Russ Carbiener, the Kewanee airport manager,
about their recent light replacement project. Per Russ, they completed the changeout of the
runway lights to LED’s this year. Next year, they will replace the lights on the taxiways. After that
is completed, a discussion will be held on transferring their inventory of non-LED lights to the City
of Galesburg.
• Airport Maintenance Update (Don Miles)
o Has not yet ordered the latches.
o Staff have been replacing light bulbs more regularly.
o Don found a company that supplies runway lights.
Old/Tabled Business:
• Status – IDOT inspection from September 2023.
Miles: the ground is still too wet to do any tree removal.
• Doi: defibrillator costs were determined to be between $1,700 and $2,200. Checked with the Fire
Department to determine if the City would be eligible for any discounts and the answer was “No”. A
check will be done with the Police Department to make sure they do not have any unused AEDs
available. Miles will investigate moving money in the budget for the AED.
New Business
• Special Event – RC Fly-In Event – approved by City Council on February 5, 2024.
April 13, 2024 (rain date April 14,2024) and June 8, 2024 (rain date June 9, 2024)
The City Clerk’s Office received the insurance.
• Solar Project on airport land (revisited)
Mike Doi is currently working with Jeff Olson and Community Power Group on extending/amending
the solar farm lease on airport property. They are requesting a two-year extension to start
construction [per original agreement] and then an additional two-year extension as a backup plan to
ensure Ameren and FAA approvals are secured prior to beginning construction.
Christensen: could glare from the solar panels be a problem?
Hurley commented that he wants to make sure that the solar does not interfere with runway three as
he does not want the FAA to revisit shutting it down after all the efforts spent to keep it open.
Repp: a coating is available that reduces the glare.
Springer: Rockford has a large solar farm.
Doi: a glare study was completed.
Springer: the land for the solar farm is farmed until construction begins. The rent can be from about
one-thousand dollars to fifteen-hundred dollars, but the process takes a long time. We might want to
revisit the lease rate we have in place as farmland prices have steadily risen.
Christensen: is there a city discount for the power costs? Doi responded “yes”.
Hurley: is there a potential for radio interference from the solar farm for operations and instrument
landings? He would like someone to verify.
• Doi: Still waiting for a reply from Jeff Olson on the next steps for the Airport Layout Plan project.
General Discussion of Other Airport Related Topics:
• Wolford noted that they would really like to get started on the Maintenance Building as it has already
been pushed out 5 plus years. He would also like to see the parking lot and fuel farm projects started
as soon as possible.
• Repp had a question about marking flags that had been on the property. Miles said they were placed
by Jim Inness to mark where wheat was planted so that leaves were not spread over that area.
• Wolford noted there are holes in the grass areas that need to be filled, possibly from coyotes or other
animals.
Next Meeting: March 14, 2024, at 3:00 p.m., International Stearman Community Center, Stearman building,
second floor.
Adjournment: A motion was made by Springer and seconded by Christensen to adjourn the meeting at 3:40
p.m.