05-19-1999 ARC MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES
MAY 19, 1999
The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission was held on
Tuesday, May 19, 1999, in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 1101 Victoria
Curve. The meeting, was called to order at 7:05 p.m.
The following Commissioners were present: Stein, May, Leuman, Beaty. Excused from
the meeting
1 were Commissioners Fitzer and Roszak- City Staff present were City
Administrator Kevin Batchelder and Administrative Assistant Patrick C. Hollister. Mr.
Hollister took the minutes.
MIN-UTES
Commissioner May moved to approve the March 10, 1999 minutes with no revisions.
Commissioner Stein seconded the motion.
AYES: 4
NAYS: 0
Commissioner Leuman moved to approve the April 14, 1999 minutes with no revisions.
Commissioner Stein seconded the motion.
AY -ES: 4
NAYS: 0
PART 150 UPDATE - CONTOUR GENERATION
Mr. Batchelder directed the Commission's attention to the April 9, 1999 minutes of the
MASAC Operations Committee. Mr. Batchelder pointed out that on Page 6, Kim Hughes
of HNTB outlines the factors that go into contour generation. Mr. Batchelder said that
although these are the same criteria that have been used in the past, they should be more
accurate now because of the availability of ANOMS data. Mr. Batchelder said that the
five criteria were:
1. Average number of daily flights
2. Correct engine types
3. Correct number of hush-kitted engines
4. Using correct ground tracks
5. Stage links with correct take off weights (fully loaded plane requires higher output)
Chair Beatv said that he has learned recently from reading about this issue that the term
"stage three" has more to do with energy output than noise generation. Chair Beaty asked
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Mr. Batchelder what the implications could be if the contours expand significantly.
Mr. Batchelder said that it would probably make more homes eligible for Part 150 noise
mitigation and other programs.
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Commissioner May said that on the negative side, it could devalue homes within the
contours.
Mr. Batchelder also informed the Council that at the May 14, 1999 MASAC meeting,
Mayor Mertensotto as the new Chair of the Committee brought up the issue of "rounding
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off' the noise contours. Mr. Batchelder said that the Mayor feels that the noise contour
boundaries should align where possible with obvious geographical barriers such as lakes
or freeways.
Chair Beaty said that no matter how the contours are rounded off, someone will be
excluded.
Commissioner Stein said that it would be good to prorate the contours, so that one house
would be 100% eligible, another house would be 75% eligible, and another house would
be 50% eligible, rather than the current all -or -nothing situation'.
Mr. Batchelder also pointed out to the Commission the individual community responses
to the Part 150 scope analysis. Mr. Batchelder said that the communities of Minneapolis,
Mendota Heights, Eagan, Richfield, Saint Louis Park, Bloomington and Inver Grove
Heights have all sent responses. Mr. Batchelder said that the only response that Mendota
Heights has serious concerns with is Eagan's response. Mr. Batchelder said that Eagan's
response centered on three issues:
1. A baseline should be established for flight data
2. The runway use system must reaffirm the current head-to-head operations.
3. How will Runway 17 be used? (Eagan wants no night flights or restrictions on
departure paths.)
Mr. Batchelder said that Eagan's last paragraph was the most debatable, regarding flights
outside the 60 DNL. Mr. Batchelder reminded the Commission that decibels are a
logarithmic function. Mr. Batchelder also reminded the Commission that Eagan had
adopted a Resolution in 1996 supporting MSP as the preferred location of the airport.
Commissioner Stein commented that 2 weeks ago he saw 18 planes waiting for Takeoff at
the north parallel due to runway reconstruction.
CROSSING IN CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
Mr. Batchelder directed the Commission's attention to a report in their agenda packet
indicating that the airport had improved its operations substantially in regards to corridor
crossing, also known as non -simultaneous departure proceedings. Mr. Batchelder said
that the report looked at 11:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m. and from 3 p.m. on Saturday to 1 p.m. on
Sunday. Mr. Batchelder said that the crossing procedures increased from 36% to 57% for
nighttime performance and from 17% to 27% for weekend performance. Mr. Batchelder
said that this report shows an improvement compared to the report received last fall. Mr.
Batchelder said that the FAA had given the tower controllers instructions to use this
procedure as a performance standard and will continue to work with the controllers for
continued improvement.
Chair Beaty said that there is still room for improvement.
Mr. Batchelder agreed, saying that there will be periodic updates of the performance
evaluations.
The Commission asked Mr. Batchelder to write letters to both Carl Rydeen of the FAA
and Chad Leque of the MA.0 thanking them for the report and congratulating them on a .
good job.
UPDATE ON RESOLUTION ON RELIEVER AIRPORTS
Mr. Batchelder said that at the April 27 meeting of the MAC, Jeff Hamil had expressed
concern that resistance from reliever airport communities was restricting MAC's ability
to move general aviation to those airports. Mr. Batchelder said that the Mendota Heights
Council position is that the decision not to move the airport was based in part on using
reliever airports for general aviation and that this need should not be thwarted by local
parochial interests. Mr. Batchelder told the Commission that the Council had passed a
Resolution to that effect and had sent it to the Legislature, to the MAC, and to the
communities of Eden Prairie and Moundsview.
UPDATE ON AIRPORT PLAN OF ACTION
Mr. Batchelder said that the Airport Plan of Action would be updated in -June. Mr.
Batchelder said that if any Commission could not find their copy of the Plan they should
call him and ask him for a copy in advance of the June meeting.
ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF VARIOUS REPORTS/CORRESPONDENCE
The Commission acknowledged receipt of the following documents:
MASAC Agenda for April 30, 1999 and March 30, 1999 Minutes
MASAC Technical Advisors Report for the Month of March, 1999
MASAC Corridor Gate Penetration Analysis for March 1999
-MASAC Executive Summary for March 1999
MASAC Revisions to February Technical Advisors Report
Airport Noise Report - April 16 and April 30, 1999 editions
MASAC Operations Committee Agenda for May 14,1999
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Eagan ARC Agenda for May 11, 1999
Richfield letter of April 16, 1999 on Part 150 funding.
OTHER COTMAIENTS OR CONCERNS
Chair Beaty asked Mr. Batchelder to provide time comparisons of flight tracks between
now and two years ago.
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ADJOURN
Motion made to adjourn by Stein and seconded by Beaty.
AYES: 4
NAYS: 0
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Patrick C Hollister
M