Chicago Executive Airport Board of Directors

CHICAGO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT BOARD OF DIRECTORS REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2024 1020 SOUTH PLANT ROAD WHEELING, IL 60090 6:00 PM I. Call to Order and Roll Call Chairman Court D Harris called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. Roll call confirmed the following present: Directors Berman, Hellyer, Kearns, Kiefer, Lang, and Saewert. Also in Attendance: Jeffrey Miller – Executive Director George Sakas – Director of Economic Development & Administrative Services Jason Griffith – Director of Finance (attended via phone) Andrew Wolanik - Director of Operations & Maintenance Kim Mueller – Property Accountant Carmina Esguerra – Administrative Coordinator Tom Lester – Attorney (attended via phone) Penny Merritt – QuiterHome® Program Project Manager Doug Klonowski – CMT Vice President & Co-Manager II. Pledge of Allegiance Chairman Harris led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance. III. Approval of Minutes A motion was made by Director Saewert and seconded by Director Hellyer to approve the minutes from December 18, 2024, Regular Board Meeting. The motion was approved by voice vote. Ayes: Directors Berman, Hellyer, Kearns Kiefer, Lang, and Saewert. Nays: None. IV. Changes to Agenda None. V. Public Comments None. VI. Hearings & Reports A. Director of Finance  Jeffrey Miller reported on Jason Griffith’s behalf the following:  December is the eighth fiscal month, meaning the target percentage collected or expended is 66.67% of the budget. Year-to-date operating revenues are at 69.14% and operating expenditure is at 54.94% of FY25. B. Executive Director Jeffery Miller reported on the following:  Operations for December 2024 were 6,525, 18% below November 2024 and 4% above December 2023. Previous 12-month ops were up slightly at 98,551, 13% above our average month of December since 2010.  Total fuel flowage for December 2024 was 743,633, 6% above November 2024 and 15% below December 2023. The previous 12-month fuel flowage was up slightly to 8,146,784, 70% above our average month of December since 2010.  42 Custom clearances in December 2024. 11 more than November 2024 and 2 more than December 2023. The previous 12-month Customs clearances increased by 2 to 524. Eight clearances above the average of November since 2010.  Total operations for 2024 increased slightly to 98,551. Our 15-year average is 84,634 operations.  Fuel decreased 3.6% just less than 8 million gallons. Our 15-year annual average is 6.1 million gallons.  524 Custom clearances were 2 clearances fewer than 2023. Our 15-year average is 468 clearances.  As a percentage of our total fuel consumption, Jet A increased slightly to 97.9%.  Our Fuel to Ops ratio increased to 85 gallons per flight. Our 15-year average is 74.5 gallons.  The number of noise comments totaled 24 for the month of December 2024. There were 4 comments per 1000 flight operations.  To date, 628 applications have been received for the Residential Sound Insulation Program (RSIP). The newsletter expected to be distributed in February. Phase 1 o One outstanding warranty item.  o Workmanship warranties will expire March/April of 2025. Notifications will be sent to homeowners. Phase 2 o Bid documents were provided to the FAA and State this week for their review and comment. o Notice to Proceed anticipated by the end of the week. o We anticipate final measurements early March 2025. o Tentative construction starts May/June 2025.  Construction Projects: o Northeast Quadrant New Tie Down Area – 90-day agreement date was 12/19/2024 – 27 days past signing. o East Quad Apron Expansion Project: Letter was sent to the state asking for replacement and for the contractor to pay any engineering fees associated with the replacement. o Sky Harbour Project: Demolition is planned for the next 60 days.  Other Projects: o Audit Update –Lauterbach is working on the narrative we will have the audit for the February Board meeting. o The Airport will be sending a survey to the Board members on the new building.  Federal Affairs Update o Continuing Resolution March 14th, 2025. o Wayne Heibeck has been announced as the new deputy Associate Administrator for airports (ARP-2) within the FAA Office of Airports. Heibeck has previously been serving as chief of staff for FAA Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson.  State Affairs Update o The Airport is continuing conversations about the aviation state fuel tax.  Resolution 25-003 – Approving the Purchase of a New Airport Vehicle #12 o Objective: Utilizing the Vehicle and Equipment Reserve Fund (VERF) for FY25, replace our 1990 Oshkosh P-Series with a new 2024 CAT 950. o Cost: Vehicle, Plow Blade, and extended warranty = $430,200.00  o Resolution: Requested to spend up to but not exceed $445,000.00 to equip vehicle and put into service. o Bidding: Vehicle to be purchased from Altrofer CAT who is an approved dealership of Caterpillar, Inc and has a contract through the Sourcewell Procurement Program. o Factors for Considerations:  Operations & Maintenance staff demoed each comparable vehicle from Caterpillar and Case.  Staff agreed the CAT 950 was the better option due to the overall better design, quality, power, safety features, and product support. • There is a service center in Dundee that comes with a network of 24/7/365 service vehicles in the Chicagoland area.  Starting 1/20/25, possible 25% tariff imposed on products from Canada on the plow blade.  The Airport considered leasing options. Cost savings of more than 100k if purchased outright.  Existing Airport 12 will be declared surplus in a future resolution and put on auction.  Upcoming Meeting and Events o Saturday, January 25th is the Chicago Aviation Expo in Glenview. CEA will have a booth there. o The office will also be closed on Monday, February 17th, President’s Day. o The next Regular Meeting for the Board of Directors is Wednesday, February 19th. Director Saewert questioned Andrew Wolanik regarding how long this unit has been on the lot. Wolanik answered that he does not have exact specifics, but considering the unit is a 2024 vehicle he cannot imagine that it has significant aging from being in the lot. Director Saewert also shared his concerns with the snow blade being bigger than the unit’s wheelbase. Wolanik explained that picking a heavier, bigger snow blade is best to help combat against wet and heavy snow. Director Kiefer raised concerns about the vehicle’s place of manufacture and whether that could affect where parts are sourced, particularly with potential tariffs. Andrew Wolanik acknowledged the team’s concerns about tariffs and reassured that they are actively working to avoid them. He speculated that Caterpillar might shift its services and equipment to Brazil. Wolanik also clarified that the Caterpillar unit was made locally in the U.S., specifically in North Carolina. Director Kiefer also asked about the vehicle’s expected arrival if approved, Wolanik estimated it would arrive at the airport in two weeks. Director Kearns questioned Executive Director Jeffrey Miller where the main water easement will take place. (New Business Item B – Resolution 25-002). Miller explained that the easement would run down Milwaukee Avenue, then it would cut up through Sumac Road and go through Industrial Lane. Director Lang questioned who will be doing the demolition for the former Ramada Inn property. Director of Economic Development and Administrative Services, George Sakas shared that Chapple Design-Build will be handling demolition of the property. C. Board Members’ Comments Director Berman wished Director Lang a very happy birthday. Director Kiefer congratulated the staff for picking the Caterpillar and explained it has been in his family for 50 years. He also shared it is great to see progress on the former Ramada Inn property; he appreciates all the hard work that has been led up. Director Kearns expressed his gratitude to Andrew and the operations team for their relentless efforts in keeping the airport running smoothly. He particularly appreciated the team's preparedness in handling the unexpected snowstorm tonight. Director Saewert reflected on his experience at the CABAA event (NBAA President Ed Bolen, who served as the guest speaker) where he had the opportunity to get a sneak peek into the future of the aviation industry. D. Correspondence and Chairman’s Comments Chairman Harris extended his birthday wishes to Director Lang and encouraged everyone  to stay warm and healthy as we navigate through Chicago's winter season. He also expressed his heartfelt sympathy for those affected by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, reassuring the public that the aviation community is doing everything possible to assist those who are affected. VII. New Business A. Resolution 25-001 – A Resolution Authorizing the Payment of Claims A motion to approve was made by Director Kiefer and seconded by Director Berman. The motion was approved by roll call. Ayes: Director Lang, Saewert, Berman, Hellyer, Kearns, Kiefer. Nays: None. B. Resolution 25-002 – A Resolution Approving a Water Main Easement for the Village of Wheeling A motion to approve was made by Director Hellyer and seconded by Director Kearns. The motion was approved by roll call. Ayes: Director Kiefer, Lang, Saewert, Berman, Hellyer, and Kearns. Nays: None. C. Resolution 25-003 – A Resolution Approving the Purchase of a New Airport Vehicle #12 A motion to approve was made by Director Saewert and seconded by Director Berman. The motion was approved by roll call. Ayes: Director Hellyer, Kearns, Kiefer, Lang, Saewert, and Berman. Nays: None. VIII. Adjournment At 6:30 pm a motion was made by Director Saewert and seconded by Director Lang to adjourn the meeting. The motion was approved by voice vote. Ayes: Director Berman, Hellyer, Kearns, Kiefer, Lang, Saewert. Nays: None. Respectfully submitted: Steve Berman Secretary