Airport Authority - November 14, 2017 Minutes
The Regular Meeting of the Municipal Airport Authority of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held Tuesday, November 14, 2017, at 8:00 a.m. in the Airport Boardroom.
The members present or absent were as follows:
Present: Linn, Kilander, Haugen, Blazek
Absent: Clark
Others: Bossart
Chairman Blazek presiding.
Approved the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Municipal Airport Authority Held October 9, 2017:
The minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Municipal Airport Authority held October 9, 2017, were approved without objection.
Approved the Airport Vouchers Totaling $107,740.90:
Mr. Kilander moved to approve the airport vouchers totaling $107,740.90.
Second by Ms. Linn.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Kilander, Haugen, Blazek voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Clark
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to Mead & Hunt:
Ms. Linn moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $3,808.00 to Mead & Hunt for partial payment request for engineering services in connection with the PFC #8 Application.
Second by Gen. Haugen.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Kilander, Haugen, Blazek voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Clark
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to Mead & Hunt:
Ms. Linn moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $119,558.43 to Mead &
Hunt for partial payment request for engineering services in connection with the Taxiway A and A1
Reconstruction Project, AIP47.
Second by Gen. Haugen.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Kilander, Haugen, Blazek voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Clark
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to Northern Improvement:
Ms. Linn moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $511,904.70 to Northern
Improvement for Partial Payment Request #3 for construction of the Cargo Apron Expansion Project.
Second by Gen. Haugen.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Kilander, Haugen, Blazek voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Clark
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to Hanson Design Group:
Ms. Linn moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $705.00 to Hanson
Design Group for partial payment request for landscape architectural services in connection with the
Shelterbelt Renovation Project, Phase II.
Second by Gen. Haugen.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Kilander, Haugen, Blazek voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Clark
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to Flint Communications:
Ms. Linn moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $9,899.65 to Flint
Communications for partial payment request for 2017 Airport Marketing Program.
Second by Gen. Haugen.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Kilander, Haugen, Blazek voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Clark
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to TL Stroh Architects:
Ms. Linn moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $21,800.00 to TL Stroh
Architects for Partial Payment Request No. 2 for architectural and engineering services in connection
with the Elevated Walkway.
Second by Gen. Haugen.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Kilander, Haugen, Blazek voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Clark
The motion was declared carried.
Received Communication from Terry and Patricia Mathern Regarding Adjacent Airport Property and Use of Storage Building:
The communication dated August 29, 2017 from Terry and Patricia Mathern was received
and filed without objection.
Mr. Dobberstein stated Patricia Mathern is present at the meeting today. Mr. Dobberstein identified the triangle shaped parcel owned by the Airport Authority, which is adjacent to the property owned by Terry and Patricia Mathern along County 31. He stated Mr. Jacque Stockman gifted the Airport Authority this piece of property (1.3 acres) a few years ago and on the site were a few grain bins and one large storage building. He stated since that time the Matherns have expressed interest in purchasing the property from the Airport Authority. He stated it is a remnant piece of property and the Airport Authority does not really need it. He stated it is probably in the airport's best interest to maintain ownership of the property for now. He stated we did check with the Fargo Park District to see if they had any interest in using the property but they were not. He stated there were a couple of storage buildings on the property that are now useless and we are working on having those demolished and removed. He stated there is one three sided metal storage building and two steel
grain bins. He stated the steel bins are no longer able to hold grain but the Matherns would like those to remain in place as a windbreak.
Mr. Dobberstein stated the Matherns have a desire to purchase the property from the airport someday, but they also would like the Airport Authority to keep the three-sided building in place and enter into a license agreement with the Airport Authority to use the shed at no cost in return for maintaining the shed and possibly cutting the grass.
Mr. Dobberstein stated what he is looking for from the board today is approval of a license agreement with the Matherns for them to use the shed starting as soon as the agreement is signed.
He stated going forward we will work with them on the possible purchase of the property. Mrs. Mathern was recognized and asked if this agreement will allow them to make some
improvements on the building. Mr. Dobberstein stated any improvements to the building would be at the Matherns' expense. He stated the Airport Authority does not carry insurance on the building.
Mr. Kilander stated he feels this is a win win situation. He stated if the Matherns are willing to maintain the grass and provided the license agreement contains an indemnification clause he sees no down side.
Mr. Kilander moved to approve entering into a License Agreement with Terry & Patricia Mathern for the use of the storage building on the airport property adjacent to their farmstead at no cost in return for maintaining the shed and grass and that the agreement contain an indemnification clause holding the Airport Authority harmless.
Second by Linn.
All members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Authorized Attendance at the 2018 ARFF Leadership Conference, Feb 26 - March 1, 2018, Orlando, FL:
Mr. Kilander moved to authorize attendance at the 2018 ARFF Leadership Conference, Feb 26 - March 1, 2018, Orlando, FL.
Second by Gen. Haugen.
All members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Received Communication from Rick Berg Regarding Assignment of Lease from Bravo Sierra Aero, LLC to Hangar 19, LLP, and Approve Consent to Assignment of Lease from Bravo Sierra Aero, LLC to Hangar 19, LLP:
Mr. Dobberstein stated Mr. Rick Berg and Mr. David Sahl, members of Bravo Sierra, LLC, have requested that the ground lease be assigned from Bravo Sierra, LLC to Hangar 19, LLP effective November 7, 2017. He stated Attorney Bossart has drafted the Assignment and Assumption of Ground lease and Consent to Assignment.
Ms. Linn moved to approve the Assignment of Lease from Bravo Sierra Aero, LLC to Hangar 19, LLP, as requested.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Kilander, Haugen voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Clark
Chairman Blazek abstained his vote as he indicated he, through his employer, is involved in providing financing assistance to Mr. Berg.
The motion was declared carried.
Received Letter of Intent from Cogi, Inc. for Office Space in the Eastside Terminal:
The Letter of Intent from Cogi, Inc. to lease space in the Eastside Terminal was received and filed without objection. Mr. Rick Flacksbarth, Cityscapes Development, was recognized and stated Cogi, Inc. is a company from California that develops phone apps. He stated they currently have space in an incubator but want to get their own office space. He stated they would take either of the two available spaces in the Eastside Terminal.
Mr. Kilander moved to approve the letter of intent from Cogi, Inc. to lease space in the Eastside Terminal effective December 1, 2017, for either of the spaces that are available.
Second by Linn. All members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Received Update from Beumer Group Regarding Proposal to Modify the Screened Baggage Handling System:
Mr. Dobberstein stated Darren Anderson has been working with the TSA the Beumer Group on the modifications to the baggage handling system for the screened baggage. He stated the original proposal was for in excess of $140,000.00 but now after some refinement of the revisions and working with the TSA, Beumer Group's proposal is now for $80,664.00, with an option for an electrical foot switch for an additional $10,629.00, which was requested by the TSA.
Chairman Blazek asked how a foot switch could cost over $10,000?
Mr. Darren Anderson stated he does not know that much about the switch but they do not currently have a foot switch. Mr. Dobberstein stated we should be able to recover these costs with PFC funding but it will be a number of years before we will be able to do that.
Mr. Kilander moved to accept the proposal from Beumer Group for a total of $91,293.00 (base bid of $80,664.00 plus $10,629.00 for foot switch option) for modifications to the screened baggage handling system as requested by the TSA.
Second by Ms. Linn.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Kilander, Haugen, Blazek voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Clark
The motion was declared carried.
Mr. Dobberstein stated as far as time frame on the project we will work with the TSA on coordination which will result in the least disruption.
Received Update on Skyway Project from TL Stroh Architects:
Mr. Terry Stroh, TL Stroh Architects, was recognized and stated we had our first Skyway Subcommittee Meeting on October 11, at which we had many different ideas proposed and since that time they have been reviewing those different options and today will review those options that they feel are the best. He stated the goal of the skyway project has been to get passengers out of the elements and into an enclosed elevated environment. He stated one option that was discussed was having an area with a lane dedicated to taxis and ride services. He stated in discussions on this matter, Mr. Dobberstein stated that he does get regular compliments on how passengers appreciate having someone right there in the building to take them to a taxi. He stated that option would have been a considerable expense.
Mr. Stroh stated we discussed how many entrance points there should be to the skyway and right now they are proposing four which are about 75 feet apart. He stated these have beendesigned to accommodate the addition of a parking ramp in the future. He stated since the board first began discussing the possibility of a skyway, increased technology in the airline industry has changed our ideas about details for the skyway. He stated we originally discussed designing the skyway so that passengers could enter the terminal and go right down to the ticket counters to check in for their flight. He stated with passengers now printing boarding passes ahead of time, boarding passes on phones and even with passengers travelling with less luggage, many of them do not even stop at the ticket counters. He stated also in the early days of planning, we discussed a moving walkway but with news of other airports closing down moving walkways due to maintenance issues and costs we have also moved away from that idea.
Mr. Stroh they explored different options of how passengers will enter the terminal from the skyway. He presented five different options and stated he and his staff are recommending Option #5, which enters the terminal building at dead center. He stated the most difficult part of this project is attaching the skyway to the terminal building. He stated they feel the option they are recommending is simpler than others they considered. He stated this option also creates more square footage and eliminates snow-catching areas. He stated with this option we would be using the existing elevator and escalators. He stated there would be separate walkways within the terminal for those entering and exiting the terminal. He indicated we would probably continue the stainless steel railings with glass design we now have in the stair area.
Mr. Stroh stated skyways can be very prominent and decorative structures but the direction we want to take is for the skyway to look good, be functional and at the same time not cost too much. He stated our variable climate has a lot to do with that. He stated they reviewed the various types of roof design we could use but have determined that a flat roof would work best to control runoff of rain, snow, and ice. He stated they would also be looking at different truss configurations to add to the aesthetics without costing a lot.
Mr. Stroh stated they have talked with Standard Parking about possibly moving the exit booth to the south end of the lot. He stated their facilities could be incorporated into the walkway and we may even gain some parking. He added that the skyway is being designed to allow expansion across the road to the south for any parking lot expansion.
Mr. Stroh stated this option is by far the least expensive of the options they reviewed. He stated with the board's direction, they will start developing the concept a little more in detail such as structural and mechanical issues. He stated the biggest thing will be how to tie into a sloped piece of glass, which will be a challenge. He stated they will do structural analysis on the existing structure to see what it will be able to handle. He stated they will also begin soil testing at the points of each pod.
He stated they would like to get the project ready for bid so that it is ready whenever the Airport Authority is ready to bid the project. He stated February and March is always the best time for bidding, although there can also be an advantage to bidding in December. Mr. Stroh stated we also discussed any community involvement and input. Ms. Linn stated after she and Mr. Kilander had many successful meetings with stakeholders, she would really like to see a modified presentation to our stakeholders for their input. Mr. Dobberstein stated he suggests at least two community meetings in an open house format. He stated Flint Communications could help us with that. Ms. Linn stated she agreed with the public open house format but also to have a separate event for stakeholders, which would be by invitation only.
Chairman Blazek stated he appreciated Mr. Stroh's presentation today and the explanation of the various options that were considered and how they arrived at the recommendation they are proposing. He stated he would encourage Mr. Stroh to have the same information available in that presentation as well.
Mr. Stroh stated they do have a consolidated version of the options that were considered. Gen. Haugen suggested it include information from the article Mr. Dobberstein shared with us on the longest moving walkway in the country that is being shut down after less than 10 years. He stated the public should know that we considered the option but because of expense and maintenance, we decided again that option.
Chairman Blazek thanked Mr. Stroh and his team for their excellent work.
Airport Construction and Security Update:
Mr. David Negron, Assistant Federal Security Director, TSA, was recognized and stated the TSA will begin officer training for their Enhanced Accessibility Property Screening (EAPS) Program at the end of the month. He stated this program has been proven to improve threat detection. He stated we will see increased wait times during the training time. He stated the checkpoint is not about speed, it is about threat mitigation. He stated the program should be operational sometime in January. He stated the program has been piloted in three other airports in the stated so they have been able to learn from those airports. He stated we may see some delay at first but that should not last that long.
Mr. Kilander suggested we team up with the TSA and Flint Communications to get the message out for passengers to expect the change. Mr. Dobberstein stated Lorie Dankers, TSA, releases all of that information. Mr. Negron stated Lorie will be happy to work with the airport to get that message out.
Other Business:
Mr. Dobberstein stated the team from Frontier Airlines will be here in January to look at space in the terminal building prior to their May start date. Mr. Dobberstein congratulated Darren, Jordan, Henry and the airfield crew on another perfect FAA Part 139 annual certification inspection.
Ms. Linn stated after reviewing recent budget figures she would like to compliment Mr. Dobberstein and crew on the fact that they are under budget in many areas with 83% of the year done. She also stated she would like the board to look at recommendations made by stakeholders during recent interviews.
The meeting of the Municipal Airport Authority was adjourned until the next regular meeting to be held Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at 8:00 a.m.
Time at adjournment was 9:15 a.m.