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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAirport Advisory Commission Minutes 061925Airport Advisory Commission MINUTES June 19, 2025 3:00 p.m. International Stearman Community Center, Stearman Building, Second Floor 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Aaron Repp at 3:02 p.m. 2. Roll Call: Present Aaron Repp (Chairperson) David Christensen David Carlton Ken Springer (KCAP Rep) Absent Phillip Wolford (FBO Rep) Bradley Hix (Council Liason) Ex-Officio Don Miles (Director of Parks & Recreation) Aaron Gavin (Director of Public Works) Public Members in Attendance Bill Hurley Toby Meyers (Jet Air) 3. Approval of Minutes: May 22, 2025, Meeting Christenson made a motion to accept the minutes of the meeting as presented and seconded by David Carlton. The motion passed unanimously. 4. Updates and Reports: a. FBO Update (Phillip Wolford) Phillip Wolford was not in attendance at the meeting. Toby Meyers provided an update on behalf of Phillip Wolford. Toby stated that crop dusting season has started, and they were starting to see some activity. He also complemented City staff on the mowing and upkeep of the airport grounds. b. Airport Manager Update (Aaron Gavin) Aaron Gavin provided the Airport Manager update stating that he received a call from the company working on the AWOS system. They were able to get a voice board working and programmed for the airport and would be on site next week to install it. Aaron also provided information to the Commission regarding the public involvement portion of the Airport Layout Plan. The agreement for the project with the City’s airport consultant, Hanson, includes in-person attendance at Airport Advisory Commission meetings to present information and receive feedback during the planning process. Aaron also stated that pricing was received from Ameren for relocating the transformer in the parking lot in advance of the project to rehabilitate the lot. City staff is reviewing the cost and options for accomplishing the necessary work. Aaron stated that the Fuel Farm project is not yet out to bid and that he will continue to push Hanson to get the project plans to IDOT so that it can be approved and advertised. c. Airport Maintenance Update (Don Miles) Don Miles provided the airport maintenance update stating that he had received a concept drawing for the new signage at the airport from Galesburg Sign and Lighting and some changes were requested. He anticipated that the new sign would be installed prior to the Stearman Fly-In. Aaron Repp asked if there were any updates on the name of the airport being officially re-named with the FAA. Aaron Gavin stated that it is still showing as under review in the ADIP database. 5. Old/Tabled Business: Ken Springer made a motion to take from the table the Hangar Land Lease Agreement and it was seconded by David Christenson. The motion passed unanimously. Aaron Gavin stated that he appreciated the comments and feedback from the Commission members and went over the redline version provided to the Commission members. Aaron Gavin stated that City staff discussed and determined that wood construction would not be allowed in addition to steel and no changes were made to that language. A section stating that the hangars shall be painted a neutral color was added. Language regarding the storage of fuel was removed to avoid confusion that hangar owners could have their own fuel storage and dispensing facility. A section was added that will allow the City to access the premises when hangars are constructed. Aaron Repp asked about the amount of liability insurance required and whether the lease addresses that the hangars are required to be used for aeronautical purposes. Aaron Gavin stated that the insurance amount required came from the example lease from Peru. The City ordinances address the requirement that hangars be used for aeronautical purposes. He is waiting on comments back from the City attorney on both items. Ken Springer made a motion to approve the Hangar Land Lease Agreement and it was seconded by David Christenson. The motion passed unanimously. 6. New Business: None 7. General Discussion of other Airport Related Topics Aaron Repp stated that the Young Eagles Rally that was supposed to be held on June 14th had to be cancelled the night before due to weather. 8. Citizen Comments Bill Hurley stated that he had reached out to someone at IDOT Aeronautics a dozen times regarding the AWOS system but had only received two callbacks. They would not provide information on who the States liaison is between the contractor working on the AWOS and IDOT. He is glad to hear that they plan to come next week to try and get it working and is hopeful it will work this time. Bill Hurley also provided quotes he had received for a new AWOS system and some different options for replacement. Bill requested that the Commission look into these options and possibly getting a new AWOS system in the future. Toby Meyers stated that the existing system is old and someday parts may not be able to be found. Bill Hurley outlined the safety concerns and gave an example of not having the AWOS available. Aaron Repp stated that having the ATC read you the weather is another option if the AWOS is unavailable. David Christensen asked if the lack of a functioning AWOS and inability to repair was a problem everywhere and if so, why the State or Feds were not doing anything about it. Aaron Gavin stated that someone he spoke to at IDOT Aeronautics told him that they were working on a funding program at the Federal level for these replacements, but it would be several years before it happened, if at all. Toby Meyers stated that Burlington Airport has spare runway lights available as they replaced all of theirs with LED’s. Aaron Gavin stated that LED replacement was planned for the airport but not until after the runway analysis was done as part of the Airport Layout Plan. Tobey Meyers let the Committee know about an upcoming pancake breakfast that is being held as part of renaming the Macomb airport. The event will be held at the airport on June 29th from 8-12. 9. Next Meeting: The next meeting will be Thursday, July 17th, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. 10. Adjournment: A motion was made by Ken Springer, seconded by David Christensen, to adjourn the meeting at 4:04 p.m.