Loading...
CCAA Minutes 08-09-2004COLLIER COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY MINUTES OF AUGUST 9, 2004 Present: Dennis Vasey Stephen Price Byron Meade Jim Peterka Staff: John Kirchner Gene Schmidt Debra Harnaga Joan Greco Public: Winona Stone John Henderson Carol Glassman Luc Carriere Tom Palmer Jack Reynolds Tammie Nemechak Mike Taylor Kelly Rubino I. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AND QUORUM CHECK  Meeting called to order at 1:10 p.m. and quorum was not present till 1:30. Executive Directors Report  Gene Schmidt will be leaving and would be interested in hearing his evaluations. Dennis Vasey will submit his report in writing and it will be on the next meeting agenda. The Everglades abutting property was the next issue. Gene Schmidt explained that on April 15 a company began clearing the mangroves and other vegetation along our access road at Everglades Airpark. Bob Tweedie and Gene Schmidt spoke to Chuck Lehmann the project manager who claimed the work was being done by the City of Everglades. Bob Tweedie had flown there to see what they were doing and took pictures of the mangroves they had pulled out. Terry Smallwood who works for Everglades City was contacted about obtaining a permit for the work being done. So far nothing has been done. The work has continued again without any permits that we know of. A permit is needed from the EPA to remove mangroves. Tom Palmer and Gene Schmidt went there a week ago to view the destruction and take pictures. When the before and after pictures were compared there was a considerable amount of damage done to the mangroves. Chairman Vasey proposed a motion to send a letter to Florida Department of Environmental Protection, notify in the City of Everglades, the State and the Mayor that the destruction of mangroves did occur and we have the proof. Jim Peterka seconded the motion. All were in favor. Approval of the Consent Agenda  Chairman Vasey made motion to approve consent agenda. Byron Meade seconded it. All in favor. B. Administrative C. Capital Improvements Luc Carriere discussed the JACIP Plan. It is our long term capital improvement program for Immokalee Airport. Luc spoke about the runway extension to attract cargo operations. We are in Phase I which is obtaining a construction permit to allow companies to build landside. The third part was T-Hangars as we had twenty-two people on the waiting list. Luc wanted some guidance from the staff to see if these were the right steps for the next five years. Jack Reynolds who is from the FAA Orlando office gave us some insight. He has identified our program as an economic development. Our immediate issue is the JACIP. We need to have it on paper by September so we can submit it in November. Jack stated one of the main things we needed now was funding. We would not be able to get any FAA funding to generate demand. You have to have a demand and get enough written documentation for it. He said if we reconstruct our runway it is the best way to get funding. The next project would be to attract business for the 8700 foot runway. This would take 5 or 6 years to finalize. Jack felt we could get $3m of federal money for the runway. We also need an environmental approval to do this. Luc Carriere said if we want a runway extension he recommends the approach to be to submit the FAA grant to rehab the runway for 5000 feet and there is an existing JACIP program to do a master plan that would initiate the extension. Then go to an environmental assessment to make sure those issues are there and how do we fund it. You may need to purchase more land depending on the size of the runway. If we create jobs for this project there may be state and federal funding available. Tammie Nemechak claims we are lacking the overall vision for the Immokalee Airport. She would like to do a “quantitative analysis” to show us our ranking to other airports and what types of businesses would want to do business with us so the EDC could start a marketing campaign. The price for this analysis is $257,300. Chairman Vasey said we need t-hangars as it will generate some revenue. We have been working with EDC to get this agreement out. Byron Meade wanted to know what was needed to get the building up. Tammie said the retention detention pond was the first thing. Luc Carriere said we were getting a construction permit to build everything but the t-hangars. Steve Price said we have to get in a position to build something. He never thought cargo companies were the way to proceed. Steve questions who and what we are doing with the marketing money. Steve thinks Skytruck type companies are the way to go economically. Manufacturing is the more practical way to produce income. If we concentrate in this area we will meet the February deadline for them to move in. Dennis Vasey stated the order of importance as: wet and dry retention, lease, t-hangars, rehab and the runway extension in the future. Luc Carriere said we were then not looking to market cargo at Immokalee right away. Jim Peterka said that was something we would do once we were closer to the realization of an extended runway. Jack Reynolds wanted us to let the State know that we had the extension in mind at a later date. We are laying the ground work in our capital improvements plan for this project. D. Old Business Steve Price talked about the Selection Committee narrowing down the final candidates. The interview of the candidates is August 23 and the CCAA board meeting is August 24 at 8:00 a.m. and we will recommend a candidate to hire. E. New Business 1. EDC Update Chairman Vasey talked about the Economic Development and Marketing Service Agreement. We will run the airport activity and the EDC will take care of the Economic Development at Immokalee. Tammie Nemechak spoke about the agreement briefly. The EDC were using the opportunities to use the Florida Tradeport as the hub for distribution for the Western Hemisphere for the Latin American countries. Similarly they are doing the same in Poland too. Steve Price did not want to put his name to this budget. He was reluctant on the cargo deal also. He is concerned without a plan to go to the Commission and ask for this money. Jim Peterka mentioned the campaign for the Florida Tradeport won an award on a $7,000 budget. He is in definite favor of the program. Chairman Vasey moved to approve this agreement. Three were in favor, one was not. The wildlife plan is finished and will be put into the administrative code according to John Kirchner. We are getting a permit to cover all the employees that are taking part in this. Risk Management had some good ideas. Everyone had the training on the safety. The air show steering committee is developed. The show is named the Ian Groom Memorial Speed Spectacular. The raceway is included with the air show. The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.