Airport Commission

Fitchburg Municipal Airport Commission Meeting Minutes March 16, 2022 LOCATION: City of Fitchburg Legislative Building TIME: 6:02PM Attendees: Airport Commissioners: Chair Clayton Raymond, Commissioners Rich Liberatore, Elizabeth Walsh, David Ginisi. Others in attendance: Mayor Steve DiNatale, Airport Manager Peter Kettle , Airport assistant Deb Silvar, Gale Associates attendees Matt Caron and Jackie Marks, City Solicitor Pusateri, Mary Jo Bohart, Director of City Economic Development. Meeting Protocol: Meeting called to order by Chair Raymond Chair Raymond introduced the commission members in attendance and others in attendance at the Legislative Building. Previous Months minutes-including special meeting minutes: Minutes to the last monthly meeting were not available at this time Action Items for previous meeting: To be covered during the meeting pondence to the commission: None to report Project Review-Gale: Airport Master Plan A presentation from Jackie Marks and assisted by Matt Caron on the Chapter Six of the Master Plan which involves Evaluation of Alternatives. Alternatives could be operational and/or environmental and the cost impact associated with construction. Cost estimates are based on current construction, engineering and design. Actual cost will be determined at the time of the project. Alternatives discussed during the meeting were Hangar locations and approaches. Reservation Land and its possible usage. Fencing improvements and upgrade to existing fence structures. Easement, and ASOS Alternatives were also discussed and action reviewed. Immediately after the Chapter 6 presentation, the Commission voted on each individual Alternative. The results of those votes are as follows.  Hangar Alternative 1, which will keep the jet aircraft on a separate taxiway than regular aviation traffic . Motion by Chair Raymond, and 2nd by Comm. Ginisi All in favor, 4-0. Land Reservation Alternative 1, which allows the airport to use two parcels of airport property for non-aviation use. Motion by Chair Raymond, and 2nd by Comm. Liberatore All in favor, 4-0. Fence Alternative 1, which will incorporate a 10 ft. fence around the perimeter of the Municipal Airport . Motion by Comm. Liberatore, and 2nd by comm. Walsh All in favor, 4-0. Restaurant Alternative 1, which allows for a Restaurant with ample parking within the Airport property. Motion by Chair Raymond and 2nd by Comm. Ginisi Al in favor, 4-0. Easement Alternative 1, which is incorporated into the Master Plan, Airport acquires rights to maintain 20:1 OCS clear of obstructions. Motion by Comm. Walsh and 2nd by Comm. Liberatore All in favor, 4-0. ASOS Alternative, which allows the airport to relocate the ASOS. Motion by Chair Raymond and 2nd by Comm. Walsh All in favor, 4-0. Finally the Commission voted to allow Gale to submit Chapter 6 to the FAA and MassDot for their review. Motion by Comm. Walsh and 2nd by Chair Raymond. All in favor, 4-0. Gale reminded the commission that all chapters of the Master Plan draft are available on the City website. Airport Master Plan and Airport Layout Plan update – AIP No. 3-250018-029-2021 Draft Chapter 5, Facility Requirements, have been uploaded to the Airport's website for public view and comment. Draft Chapter 6, Development and Evaluation of Alternatives, provides layout options for improvements recommended in Chapter 5. Gale will present the Alternatives and associated impacts during this evening's meeting. Gale will then request that the Airport Commission vote to select its preferred alternatives. Once alternatives have been selected, Gale will revise Chapter 6 to include the Commission's selection and forward the Chapter to FAA and MassDOT. Action: Gale Environmental Assessment and Wildlife Hazard Assessment – AIP No. 3-25-0018-XX-2022 A virtual scoping meeting between the Airport, FAA, and MassDOT has been scheduled for 3/17/2022 at 9A.M. A draft scope of work was provided to all parties for review. Once the Scope of Work has been revised based on feedback from the meeting, the Airport must solicit an independent fee estimate for the project. The FY-2022 Grant Application deadline is April 11th , so speedy responses will be necessary. Action: Gale, Manager Kettle Fitchburg Pilots Association: No Correspondence New Business: FPA - Coop to be discussed in Executive Section following this meeting Commission Secretary position was Tabled by the Chairman. To be revisited at the next Commission meeting. Action: Commission Old Business: Mass Development Site Readiness. Presentation from Mary Jo Bohart, Director of City Community Economic Development. Spoke about grant funding that is available in April. Money can be used to research airport development that is aviation or non-aviation purposes. Action: Mary Jo Bohart and Tom Skiwarski Door to Terminal Lobby. Airport Manager Peter Kettle determined that work could begin within 12 weeks. Action: Manager Kettle R4102A and R4102B. The Devens Commander and the City are working together on a plan to allow approaching planes coming into the Municipal Airport to use the Devens air space. The Airport Manager will continue to keep the commission updated on the plan. Action: Manager Kettle Tie Down. (FPA-Coop). This topic will be discussed in the Executive Section following the regular meeting. Action: City Solicitor Pusateri and Manager Kettle  RFP – 7 and 9 Hangers. There are lease issues ongoing. A meeting will be set up to continue dialogue for a reservation and agreement by all parties. Action: City Solicitor and Manager Kettle Hangar 10 New Door. Civil Engineering Approval is awaited prior to continuation and issue of a Change Order on additional structural work to be completed. Action: Manager Kettle Door for Hanger 2 and 3. We are waiting for confirmation from Mass DOT. Action: Manager Kettle Self-Serve Fuel Transfer to and from truck. Discussions with Titan Fuel, supplier for the Airport, Titan will accept cost for getting the parts to upgrade the fuel truck. Action: Manager Kettle Minimum Standards. Await Commission comments and recommendations. Action: Airport Commission The Pete Store. Await Airport Master Plan recommendations. Action: Assistant Silvar Convergent Energy. No Change. Waiting for Airport Master Plan Action: Gale Financial Review: Approval of Commitments and Abatement's. Abate $200 to F.A.C.T. Over charge of $100 for two months. Motion to approve the abatement proposed by Chair Raymond, seconded by Comm. Liberatore. All in favor. Abate $10.21 to Allison Parent. Commission agreed to weave fee. Motion to wave fee made by Chair Raymond and seconded by Comm. Walsh. All in favor. Action: Manager Kettle Executive Session: There will be an Executive Session on the FPA – COOP following the regular meeting. A vote was taken to move to Executive Session. Proposed by Chair Raymond and seconded by Comm. Ginisi. All in favor. Meeting was closed and then 5 minutes was taken to clear the room and then to move in to Executive Session. Regular Meeting Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned by the Chairman at 7:58 p.m. Recording Secretary, Richard Liberatore  Fitchburg Municipal Airport Commission Executive Session Meeting Minutes March 16, 2022 Location: City of Fitchburg Legislative Building Time: 8:06 P.M. Attendees: Airport Commissioners: Chair Clayton Raymond, Richard Liberatore, Elisabeth Walsh, David Ginisi, City Solicitor Pusateri, Airport Manager Peter Kettle, and Deb Silvar Meeting Protocol: Meeting called to order by Chair Raymond at 8:06 P.M. Executive Session Topic: FPA – Coop. Discussion: For many years now since 2006 the FPA – COOP has been working to a land lease agreement which states that their lease rate is based on a Tie- down rate. The area the the lease covers in circa 17,000 sq. ft. However, in 2008 the FAA did an assessment of the airport and advised that in order we keep on being a Grant Assured Airport, any private building/s erected should be assessed on a “square Foot” basis rather than a Tie-down and as such at that time the F.A.C.T. were advised of this and complied accordingly with a new lease and a new rate for their hanger rentals. However, this information did not get passed the FPA- COOP. Recently appointed Airport Manager Kettle observed that this situation with the FPA COOP was not working to the same standards and arranged a meeting with them to discuss same and their response was that the letter from the FAA did not apply to them, but only to F.A.C.T. Manager Kettle advised them again that the FPA-COOP should come into line and they requested to know a number of things in relation to what other hanger owners / renters were paying. This information was supplied but the FPA – COOP still insisted that they were not going to pay anymore than a Tie-down rate basis for their hangars. At this stage Manager Kettle contacted the FAA and the FAA advised the FPA – COOP that they should be working to the Square Foot Basis for their hangar space the same as F.A.C.T. The present lease agreement states that a lease can be adjusted under certain conditions. Communication between the Fitchburg Municipal Airport and the FPA- COOP have stopped and it was for this reason the Executive Session was called, to see what action could be taken to resolve this situation.  It was agreed by all parties that Attorney Pusateri would draft a letter that Manager Kettle could put into his own words and also use the letter from the FAA in 2008 to endorse the requirement for the FPA- COOP to work to the Square Foot rule. ACTION: Attorney Pusateri to write a letter to Airport Manager Kettle who will then write in his own words to the FPA-COOP requesting many items that should have been completed by the FPA-COOP over the preceding years. It was also agreed by all parties that this letter would be the first to get the reaction and to move things forward. The Chair made a motion to delay any action until the letter was submitted to the FPA and to receive any response from the FPA-COOP that they may have. Motion to Adjourn: The Chair Raymond made a motion to adjourn the Executive Session at 8:48P.M. Recording Secretary: Richard Liberatore