Airport Commission

Fitchburg Municipal Airport Commission Meeting Minutes July 17, 2024 LOCATION: City of Fitchburg Legislative Building TIME: 6:02 PM Attendees: Airport Commissioners: Chair Clayton Raymond, Commissioner Paul Hathaway and Commissioner Richard Liberatore. Others in attendance: Airport Manager Peter Kettle Meeting Protocol: Meeting called to order by Chair Raymond. Chair Raymond introduced the Commission Members and all others who were in attendance. Previous Months Minutes-including special meeting minutes: Chair Raymond asked for a motion to accept the June Meeting Minutes. Motion was made by Commissioner Hathaway and 2nd by Commissioner Liberatore to accept the minutes as recorded. All in favor, 3-0. 24-07-01 Action Items from Previous Meeting: Action Items will be covered during the regular meetings agenda. Correspondence to the Commission: There were no correspondence sent to the Airport Commission this month. Project Review- Gale: Monthly Project Update Gale Representatives were unable to make this monthly meeting. Airport Manager Peter Kettle has the most recent update sent to him from Gale and he will present these updates this evening. Environmental Assessment and Wildlife Hazard Assessment: AIP 3-25-0018-034-2023 The final round of wildlife surveys took place on May 20, 2024 thru May 22, 2024 with the draft WHA summary report expected the week of July 26, 2024. Gale and the Airport will review this document and then pass it on to the FAA for their review. Comments from Gale and the Airport must be in by August 12. 2024 and then the document needs to be sent off to FAA by August 16, 2024. Design and Permitting for Main Apron Reconstruction: The contract between Gale and the Airport has been executed. Sub-consultant agreements are being circulated for signatures and the survey and geotechnical exploration work is being scheduled. Gale will inform the airport in advance of this work taking place. Grant funding from the FAA and MassDot is still pending. Groove, Seal and Remark Runway 14-32 (ASMP-2024-FIT-29 and ASMP-2024-FIT-30) The project is substantially complete. The wash water is expected to be discharged towards the end of this week or early next week and the tank will be removed from the Airport property. Gale is coordinating with the Airport and MassDot to schedule a final inspection. Other Items: Medstar Legal- Gale assisted the Airport in preparing and submitting an FAA and MassDot Grant Application to recover funds associated with the Medstar lawsuit. We are currently awaiting any possible grant award and will submit a reimbursement request when and if a grant is issued. Commissioner Hathaway added a comment after Mgr. Kettle presented the Gale report. Comm. Hathaway wanted to publicly thank Mgr. Kettle for his dedicated leadership during this complicated runway project . It is commendable to what Mgr. kettle has brought to the Fitchburg Airport in terms of improvements and leadership. His hard work has not gone unnoticed by the Commission nor the people who use our Airport facility. Chair Raymond concurred. Fitchburg Pilots Association (FPA): Airport Mgr. Kettle advised the Commission that the FPA is once again applying for permission to host their Young Eagles event on August 24, 2024 and again on October 12, 20204. A vote from the Commission is need tonight to allow the FPA to move forward. Chair Raymond made the motion to allow the FPA to have the Young Eagle events on the requested dates. Commissioner Hathaway 2nd the motion and the vote was unanimous, 3-0. 24-07-02 New Business: Noise Abatement: Airport Mgr. Kettle informed the Commission that the Noise Abatement signs will be posted at the Airport as early as next Tuesday, July 23, 2024. These signs will give notice to all visiting aircraft that there is a Noise Abatement here in Fitchburg for runway 32/14 and the signs will provide pilots with the necessary information and procedure when leaving the Airport, so that the neighbors close to the airport are not overwhelmed by excessive aircraft engine noise. Fitchburg based pilots have already been informed of the Abatement and the Airport Mgr. commented that there have been very few complaints coming into his office from those who live closest to the Airport. The FAA will also issue the Noise Abatement information on the updated FAA chart supplement which will be published on August 8, 2024. The Airport is working hard to be good neighbors to all who live in both Fitchburg, Leominster and Lunenburg. Action-Airport Mgr. Kettle Old Business: RFP for Non-Aviation Land Lease Update: Airport Mgr. Kettle spoke in regards to the Non-Aviation Land Lease. Mgr. Kettle stated that an RFP will be sent out next week but this RFP was for the Restaurant site only. Both the Mayor and Mgr. Kettle have had the opportunity to review the document before Mary Delaney, the City Procurement Officer sends out the RFP. The document is being sent out to a much broader radius than the last one, with the hopes of attracting a greater group of interested developers. The RFP will be open for 90 days. Action- Airport Mgr. Kettle / Mary Delaney Minimum Standards – Item 2.3 Chair Raymond is once again working to better understand the old language in the Minimum Standards Document and he is now reaching out to the Commission to take the time and review the language that is in red. It is questionable language that would need the majority of the review and probable the greater change in wording. Chair Raymond also needs the term Business, to be better defined and to have a better understand of what a business actually is here at the Airport and in the document. The Chair has sent each Commissioner an updated document for their review and comments accordingly. Action – Chair Raymond and Commission Crawford Street Safety Update- Nick Erickson: Airport Mgr. Kettle spoke on behalf of DPW Commissioner Nick Erickson who could not be with us tonight.. Mgr. Kettle explained that we are still waiting for the MassDot Traffic Bureau to get back with the DPW Commissioner in regards to the Crawford Street situation. Mgr. Kettle did added that now the DPW Commissioner is in a new fiscal year, he does have funding available to put up chevrons along the roadway that is most hazardous. He will be addressing this work shortly. Action- Commissioner Erickson / Mgr. Kettle Rocking Horse Enterprises: Airport Mgr. Kettle received plan ideas from Mr. Bob Montana of Rocking Horse Enterprises. Each Commissioner had a proposed plan to view, of both T-Hangars and Box Hangars, that Mr. Montana would like to construct at the Airport. Airport Mgr. Kettle explained that there would be two large Box Hangars measuring 100 x 150 feet and along with that, there would be six units containing five 50 x 75 T-Hangars totaling 30 hangars in all. Mgr. Kettle estimated that each hangar would cost approximately $110 thousand. Mr. Montana is looking for approval of the proposed plan from the Commission before he moves further. Airport Mgr. Kettle suggested that that we submit these Hangar plans to Gale as they control the planning for the Airport inline with the Airport Master Plan and to get their input as well. Mgr. Kettle added that he already has 14 parties interested in purchasing Hangars at this time. Commissioner Paul Hathaway made a motion to support proceeding forward and to encourage Rocking Horse Enterprises to develop a land plan in accordance with the document we reviewed tonight, and subsequently with that to review with the Airport Commission and Gale Associates. Chair Raymond 2nd the motion, all were in favor, 3-0. 24-07-03 Action-Airport Mgr. Kettle After Hours Bathroom Facility: Chair Raymond explained that the Airport Commission will present a Memorandum of Understanding to the FPA that will outline the terms, the requirements for Liability Insurance and the availability of the After Hour use of the Administration Building. Members at the Airport who are pilots or do business at the Airport and are badge holders will have access to the Bathroom facility. Action- Airport Mgr. Kettle Naturals2go: Airport Mgr. Kettle reported to the Commission that the Licensing Agreement was completed by the City Solicitors Office. We are waiting for the Mayor to sign off on the Agreement and then we are all good to go. The plan is to get the machine up and running by the first of August. Mgr. Kettle believes this is a great asset to the Airport and the Aviation Community as well. Action- Airport Mgr. Kettle Financial Review: Approval of Commitments and Abatement's: Airport Mgr. Kettle thought this would be the right place, given the opportunity to report on the Financial state of our Fitchburg Airport given that one fiscal year has ended and we are just starting a new year. Manager Kettle reported that our expenses this past year were over a million dollars totaling to the sum of $1,063,994.60. The revenue that was brought into the Airport both from rent and fuel sales totaled to the sum of $1,080,774.00. Showing a profit of $16,779.40. A closer look at the revenue showed rent at a value of $380,000.33 and our fuel sales showed a return of $671,747.00 for the year. Airport Mgr. Kettle continued to say just how important it is to properly develop our non aviation land and to build available hangar space to draw in more aviators. This will add greatly to our financial base. Comm. Liberatore questioned Mgr. Kettle regarding fuel pricing and whether we are competitive in the fuel market. Manager Kettle assured the Commission that our fuel prices were extremely competitive and on the low side of the spectrum when compared to other Airports in the area. Jet-A+ fuel is at $6.00 a gallon and the 100LL is at $6.86 a gallon purchase off the truck. Self-serve 100LL pricing is at $6.56 a gallon. However, more than half of all 100LL fuel sales have been off the truck. Airport Mgr. Kettle was very pleased with the financial position the Airport is at the present time and he looks forward to the coming year, with the hopes of seeing more growth and a larger income for the Fitchburg Airport. The Commission is more than pleased in the way Mgr. Kettle has been conducting business at the Airport and we wish him continuing success. Airport Mgr. Kettle added one more report before the Commission adjourned. He reported that the Assistant Manager Debbie Silvar Lally is retiring and her position is now advertised. Mgr Kettle noted that he had 35 applicants and out of that he chose 5 for an interview. He was very pleased with the credentials each candidate had and he stated that this was an extraordinary group with excellent backgrounds. The Commission wishes Debbie a relaxing and healthy retirement and to remember that retirement is not the end of the road but the beginning of the open highway. Next Regular Meeting: August 21, 2024 at 6pm. Regular Meeting Adjourned: Chair Raymond made a motioned to adjourn the meeting at 7:01 pm. All were in favor. Respectfully Submitted, Richard Liberatore Recording Secretary