Airport Authority - September 11, 2018 Minutes
The Regular Meeting of the Municipal Airport Authority of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held Tuesday, September 11, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. in the Airport Boardroom.
The members present or absent were as follows:
Present: Linn, Lind, Haugen, Clark
Absent: Blazek
Others: Bossart, Piepkorn
Chairman Clark presiding.
Approved the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Municipal Airport Authority Held August 28, 2018:
The minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Municipal Airport Authority held August 28, 2018 were approved without objection.
Approved the Airport Vouchers Totaling $35,998.88:
Ms. Linn moved to approve the airport vouchers totaling $35,998.88.
Second by Mr. Lind.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Lind, Haugen, Clark voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Blazek
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to Sixel LLC:
Gen. Haugen moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $4,214.00 to Sixel, LLC for August passenger enplanement fees for Frontier Airlines.
Second by Mr. Lind.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Lind, Haugen, Clark voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Blazek
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to Forum Communications:
Gen. Haugen moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $563.34 to Forum Communications for legal advertisement for bids for the Dakota Drive Pavement Rehabilitation, AIP48.
Second by Mr. Lind.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Lind, Haugen, Clark voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Blazek
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to Forum Communications:
Gen. Haugen moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $560.88 to Forum Communications for legal advertisement for bids for the Dakota Drive Lighting Improvements, AIP48.
Second by Mr. Lind.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Lind, Haugen, Clark voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Blazek
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to Flint Group:
Gen. Haugen moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $48,903.43 to Flint Group for partial payment request for 2018 Airport Marketing Program.
Second by Mr. Lind.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Lind, Haugen, Clark voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Blazek
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to TL Stroh Architects:
Gen. Haugen moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $285.00 to TL Stroh Architects for partial payment request for architectural services in connection with the Westside Terminal Metal Panel Replacement Project.
Second by Mr. Lind.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Lind, Haugen, Clark voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Blazek
The motion was declared carried.
Approved the Individual Voucher to TL Stroh Architects:
Gen. Haugen moved to approve the individual voucher in the amount of $35,970.00 to TL Stroh Architects for partial payment request for architectural and engineering services in connection with the Elevated Walkway.
Second by Mr. Lind.
On the call of the roll, members Linn, Lind, Haugen, Clark voted aye.
Absent and not voting: Blazek
The motion was declared carried.
Authorized Purchase of Vehicle to Replace 1998 ARFF/Airfield Ops Truck (State Bid - 2019 Dodge Ram):
Mr. Dobberstein stated we need to replace a 1998 Ford Expedition, which we purchased from a state auction a number of years ago. He stated when our ARFF staff started we assigned that vehicle to them. He stated we are proposing to replace this unit with a 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 Classic Crew Cab for the ND State bid price of $26,422.00 from Nelson Auto Center. He stated when the new vehicle arrives we will place the 1998 Ford on the City's auction.
Mr. Lind moved to authorize the purchase of a 2019 Dodge Ram from Nelson Auto Center for the ND State bid price of $26,422.00.
Second by Ms. Linn.
All members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Received Bid Tabulation and Recommendation of Award for Dakota Drive Pavement Rehabilitation and Lighting Improvements, AIP48:
Mr. Dobberstein stated on September 5, we received bids for the Dakota Drive Pavement Rehabilitation and Lighting Improvements.
Mr. Jeff Klein, Mead & Hunt, was recognized and stated the bids for the pavement and the lighting portion were separate bids. He stated the intent of the lighting portion of the project is to replace the fixture heads on all of the street lighting along Dakota Drive from 19th Avenue, around the terminal building, control tower, parking lots and car rental lots, with LED fixtures. He stated Bid Schedule 1 is for the AIP eligible portions of the project and Bid Schedule 2 is for the areas not eligible for AIP funding. He stated we received five bids and the low bidder was Strata Corporation with a combined total of $163,555.00. Mr. Klein stated it is their recommendation to award Bid Schedule 1 and Bid Schedule 2 to Strata Corporation.
Ms. Linn moved to award the bid for the Dakota Drive Street Lighting Improvements, AIP48, both Bid Schedule 1 and Bid Schedule 2 for a total of $163,555.00 to Strata Corporation.
Second by Gen. Haugen.
All members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Mr. Klein stated Strata would be able to start on the lighting project any time with a May 31, 2019 completion date.
Mr. Klein stated the pavement rehabilitation portion of the project will involve joint seal replacement, panel replacement, crack repair, routine pavement maintenance to maximize the life of the pavement. He stated the areas will include everything along the access road from 19th Avenue to the terminal building, including entrances to the parking lots, maintenance shop parking lot and service roads, fuel farm road, etc.
Mr. Klein stated there is one section of pavement from the overhead lift gate south to the entrance to the fuel farm. He stated pavement maintenance for that portion is Bid Schedule #3 at a cost of $31,264.00 and pavement replacement is Bid Schedule #4 at a cost of $535,047.48. He stated the maintenance would work for short term but the real long term solution is replacement. He stated either option is eligible for AIP funds.
Mr. Klein stated their recommendation is to award Bid Schedules #1, #2 and #4 to Interstate Improvement for a total of $1,867,841.48.
Mr. Lind moved to approve the recommendation of Mead & Hunt and award Bid Schedules #1, #2 and #4 to the low bidder, Interstate Improvement, based on their bid of $1,867,841.48.
Second by Gen. Haugen.
Mr. Dobberstein stated it is in our best interest to do this project now as we are still a non-hub airport. He stated if our boardings increase we would then be classified as a small hub airport and would not be eligible for AIP funding for this project.
Mr. Klein stated the project would start mid May of 2019 with a completion date of June 30, 2019.
Chairman Clark called for a vote on the motion.
All members present voted aye and the motion as declared carried.
Mr. Dobberstein stated the FAA's bank account closes down on Friday for the fiscal year. He stated now that we have bid numbers we will be able to submit our grant application and then we will be receiving our grant Thursday or Friday, which he and Attorney Bossart will sign on behalf of the Airport Authority. He stated we will receive a draw down on the funds for the projects that were completed last year but we will not be able to draw down any funds for the upcoming projects until work has begun.
Reviewed Capital Improvement Plan:
Mr. Dobberstein stated each year the FAA requires that we submit an updated Capital Improvement Plan. He distributed copies of the CIP for the last fiscal year and asked the board to review the plan as we will be submitting an updated plan in the next few months. He stated the plan goes out many years but each year we are able to make changes so our focus is on the next two to three years. He stated we have to be flexible as priorities change, such as our need for expansion in the cargo area as UPS will be starting operations. He stated as part of the cargo apron expansion we would be integrating that with runway centerline lighting. He stated we are working with the FAA to justify that. He stated we are also working with FAA Tech Ops on discussions regarding updating the Instrument Landing System (ILS) for the approach to Runway 36.
Mr. Dobberstein stated the board members could review the plan and have any recommendations at the next meeting. He stated we will have to provide an updated CIP to the engineering firms who will be putting in their qualification submissions in response to our RFQ.
Mr. Lind stated he agrees the centerline lighting and approach lighting systems need to have a very high priority. He stated even if we have to fund it at this point it would be a wise investment.
Discussed Snow Removal Equipment Needs:
Mr. Dobberstein stated he has been having discussions with Darren Anderson, Henry Swedberg (Airfield Supervisor) and Mr. Jeff Klein (Mead & Hunt) on our needs for snow removal because of the addition of the UPS operations. He stated in the past we have not had a lot of activity between 11 pm and 5 am but we will see a change in that which will cause a need for additional snow removal equipment and personnel. He stated Darren and Henry have been reviewing State Bid specifications and other public bid websites that are large consortiums that publicly bid hundreds of pieces of equipment. He stated we are able to purchase from those consortiums and meet FAA requirements.
He stated we would like to replace one of our older sander trucks with a plow on it. He stated we are looking to purchase a very large truck with a plow on it and a chemical spreader. He stated the FAA has a formula they use for funding equipment based on a priority system for pavement areas. He stated we are looking at purchasing at lease $1-$2 million in new equipment.
Mr. Dobberstein stated we are working through a plan for the snow removal personnel. He stated we have for a number of years had some part time seasonal snow removal equipment operators who have been able to work just during snow events, but that is getting harder to find. He stated we are looking at the possibility of utilizing our firefighters on their days off.
Mr. Darren Anderson stated orders for airfield equipment are about 300 days out so we won't be getting any new equipment for this season.
Mr. Dobberstein stated we are also looking into hiring a private snow removal contractor to take care of the Eastside Terminal parking lot.
Gen. Haugen asked if we have looked into any help from the Guard.
Mr. Dobberstein stated we do have a pretty good agreement with the NDANG in the event we have a major breakdown of equipment, so that has been our backup for many years. He added that we are confident we will have a plan in place before snow removal season.
Discussed October Meeting Dates (Tuesday, October 9 and Wednesday, October 24):
Mr. Dobberstein stated our October 9 meeting date should be fine but our second meeting scheduled for the 23rd has a conflict. He stated he is currently serving as First Vice President of the Great Lakes Chapter of the AAAE and they are having their Operations and Maintenance Conference in Chicago through October 23.
Mr. Dobberstein stated it would be good if at that October 24 meeting the board could finalize decisions on both the Public Parking Proposals and the Engineering Services. He stated if that is not possible those will be delayed until November.
Chairman Clark stated she will not be here for the October 24 meeting. She stated rather than appointing committees to review and make recommendations on each proposal she wants all board members to review both proposals and make recommendations.
Airport Construction and Security Update:
Mr. Terry Stroh, TL Stroh Architects, was recognized and stated Smithco is continuing to work on the Metal Panel Replacement Project on the east side of the terminal building. He stated the project has taken longer than anticipated due to some issues but those are being addressed and the project should be done soon.
Other Business:
Mr. Dobberstein stated in August he was contact by a law firm representing Digikey Electronics advising us that they submitted a subzone application to the Foreign Trade Zone Board. He stated it is for two buildings north of the airport. He stated he will be meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Foreign Trade Zone Board at the national conference next week in Atlanta and hopefully this application will go through fairly quickly. He stated we are working with two more firms interested in the designation.
Mr. Dobberstein stated he received an inquiry from InFlight Parking, a firm interested in our RFP for public parking. He stated he believes InFlight is part of Interstate Parking. He stated our RFP required five (5) consecutive years of experience managing parking operations at US airports. He stated they operate parking lots at airports around the world are requesting that "US" airports" be removed, as they would be prohibited from submitting a proposal. He stated they are currently operating the parking lots at the airport in Milwaukee and have just been awarded the contract for Roanoke, VA. Mr. Dobberstein stated he does not have any problem with this request.
Mr. Dobberstein stated there will also be another addendum with regard to insurance and the per occurrence and aggregate limits.
Mr. Dobberstein stated he visited with a representative from Republic Parking last week and they submitted 20 questions, which will be answered and those answers will be posted on the website. He stated they requested that the annual minimum guarantee be lowered from the $2.4 million amount as well as lower the percentage to the airport of 85% . He stated his answer to that request was "no." He stated the minimum guarantee is a little on the high side but the lease agreement has provisions that if boardings decrease substantially year over year those minimums can be re-negotiated.
Gen. Haugen asked if any of the firms have indicated the trends of airport parking going way down because of Uber and Lyft.
Mr. Dobberstein stated the significant impacts of Uber and Lyft are being felt at airports all over the country, especially in the larger cities. He stated they are also affecting the car rental agencies.
Ms. Linn stated she looks forward to getting the results of the recent survey taken by SP+ and getting those figures into the spreadsheet and see if that trend is moving up.
Mr. Lind stated in the interest of getting the most competitive bids, he moved to approve the request to remove "US" from the section in the request for proposals referring to five (5) consecutive years of experience and issue an addendum to the request for proposals.
Second by Gen. Haugen.
All members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Chairman Clark called for a vote on the motion.
All members present voted aye.
The meeting of the Municipal Airport Authority was adjourned until the next Regular Meeting to be held Tuesday, September 25, 2018.
Time at adjournment was 8:36 a.m.