Airport Advisory Board

DEKALB TAYLOR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES December 17, 2019 Chairman Bob Owens called the meeting to order at 7:00pm. Roll Call: Bob Owens, Bernie Pupino, Paul Borek, Gary Hanson, and Matt Duffy. Absent: Jim Rhoades, Melissa Gallagher, and Anthony Faivre – City Council Liaison. Guests: None APPROVAL OF AGENDA - Motion by Matt Duffy. Seconded by Paul Borek. Motion passed. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION- none APPROVAL OF MINUTES- Motion by Gary Hanson. Seconded by Paul Borek. Motion passed. OLD BUSINESS — Airport Manager Tom Cleveland will get the Airport Advisory Board 2020 meeting dates out before the end of the year. NEW BUSINESS — Discussion on Airport Strategic Planning for 2020 - Airport Manager Tom Cleveland discussed how we need to educate the community on the value and importance of the airport for economic development, our strategic improvements, what businesses are supported by the airport, increasing our marketing efforts and upgrading our airport facilities. AAB members asked for the schematic of the main office and hangar building. Rebranding of the airport name was discussed. A newspaper article about a Michigan airport doing the same rebranding was distributed and discussed. The AAB members would like rebranding, renaming topic put on the agenda for the January 2020 meeting. Further discussion is needed. Solar panels/power on the airport property was discussed. The AAB would like to talk to the company that approached the airport to install this solar power plant on airport property. A great amount of revenue would be produced from this project. FAA approval is needed. Airport Manager Tom Cleveland will set up the meeting. The airport has numerous acres of developable land. A land map was distributed to the AAB. Discussion was held how to market this land. Further discussion is needed. Community events such as a Hot Air Balloon Fest and a bicycle ride down the runway were discussed. These events would have to be approved by the FAA. Airport Manager Tom Cleveland has submitted the event application to the FAA for the 2020 balloon Fest already. Further discussion is needed about events and event dates. Community outreach was discussed. A website www.noplanenogain.org was discussed. The website explains to the general public why business aircraft are so important to the economy and the community you live in. There will be a new airport economic impact study done by the State of Illinois – Division of Aeronautics in 2020. the last study was done in 2011 and the economic benefit to the community was $10.7 million dollars. The new study will be marketed heavily to the community when complete. Discussion was held on the City/Airport budget that was approved by the DeKalb City Council on December 9th. Both airport projects this year are funded. The low-cost jet fuel program will continue in 2020. The DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport Transportation Improvement Program (TIPs) was approved by the DeKalb City Council. The TIPs were submitted to the Illinois Department of Transportation – Division of Aeronautics and the FAA. AIRPORT MANAGERS REPORT- Airport Manager Tom Cleveland congratulated Airport Advisory Board member Bernie Pupino. Mayor Smith reappointed him to the Airport Advisory Board with a four-year term. Airport Manager Tom Cleveland requested an “After Hours” event at the airport for the summer of 2020. Further discussion is needed on what type of event the airport will have. Fuel sales were slow in November, but they have been looking up in December. Airport snow removal is going well. The transmission in the 1981 Oshkosh plow truck has been replaced and should be operational soon. The DeKalb Kiwanis had their November meeting in the hangar. Roger Keys, the local expert on the twin engine drone that was built here during World War II, gave a presentation about the manufacturing and test flying of the drone at the airport and the use of it in the south pacific during the war. The Dekalb Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy was held at the airport on December 11th. They had many speakers including Airport Manager Tom Cleveland. The last speaker of the day was Bruce Griffith, the director of the Kishwaukee Education Consortium High School Aviation program. After Mr. Griffith’s presentation, all the Leadership Academy students were able to fly one the ten aircraft simulators in the KEC classroom MOTION TO ADJOURN- Motion to Adjourn made by Bernie Pupino. Seconded by Paul Borek. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 8:20pm. Minutes submitted by Tom Cleveland Minutes Approved – January 28, 2020