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2007-04-11 Airport Relations Commission Minutes 2007-04-11 Airport Relations Commission Minutes CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES APRIL 11, 2007 The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission was held on Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at 7:00 p.m., in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, Minnesota. The following Commissioners were present: Liz Petschel, Chair; Ellsworth Stein, Vice Chair; Bill Dunn, Robin Ehrlich, Brian Linnihan, Sally Lorberbaum, and Dave Sloan, Commissioners. Also present were: Jim Danielson, City Administrator, Jake Sedlacek, Assistant to the City Administrator, and Mary Heintz, Recorder. Not Present: None. Approval of Minutes A motion was made by Commissioner Lorberbaum, seconded by Commissioner Linnihan, to approve the March 14, 2007, Airport Relations Commission Meeting minutes as submitted. Chair Petschel requested, and it was agreeable with all Commissioners, that the evening’s agenda items be moved to the following order: A) Cities Meeting Update, B) NOC Meeting Update, C) Legislative Report, D) MAC Open House, and E) Plan of Action. Unfinished and New Business A. Cities Meeting Update Chair Petschel described the history and meeting schedule of the NOC Cities oversight committee, which comes together informally as a workshop to talk about past and future agendas and is a good opportunity to share information in terms of cities bringing forward noise issues. She said one goal is to be cohesive and mutually supportive, noting MAC’s past effective strategy being to divide and conquer. Chair Petschel said now is the chance to build the cohesiveness to the cities’ advantage. She described Merland Otto as the Minneapolis point person on airport issues and who Page 1 2007-04-11 Airport Relations Commission Minutes is involved in the Minneapolis lawsuit against MAC, now joined by Richfield and Eagan. Chair Petschel reported that MAC most likely won’t get a favorable resolution. The judge has refused to dismiss in both cases and feels there was a binding agreement for soundproofing in the 60/64 part of the Contour. She said the judge should be ruling in the suit from residents and will go to trial, making a decision on homes that should be Commission Meeting – April 11, 2007 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 2 insulated, using the 2006 and 2007 maps as reference. Chair Petschel stated that MAC says a new map is needed but she anticipates the Contour would be shrunk if that occurred. She said the issue was discussed at the Cities Meeting and some of the Contour work should be done in NOC, adding that everyone would have to be on their toes to ensure the figures utilized to create the Contour are accurate. Commissioner Linnihan inquired as to whether Mendota Heights would be affected. Chair Petschel responded that anything 65 and above has been insulated, including schools. She said the 60/64 was built to specifications of what would be full soundproofing for the City, adding, however, that Rogers Lake might be in question. Commissioner Dunn noted that night-time use is different than other places in the country and it should be consistent. Chair Petschel said the Contour will be the issue, citing that Eagan’s Assistant City Administrator, Diane Miller, had raised the issue of actual percentages not matching FEIS for Runway 17. She also said it had been underutilized and so there are some days when it is used 60% of the time, which is MAC’s attempt to accomplish a lot in a short time, and Ms. Miller had made a point at the meeting of acknowledging that fact so Carl Rydeen was aware she knew what the Tower was doing. Chair Petschel also reported that she learned from Vern Wilcox, Bloomington Councilmember and NOC Co-Chair, that Senator Larson (who represents Bloomington) is bringing forward a bill he feels has a good chance of passing that would eliminate airport zoning and go back to “safe zones” at the end of the runway. She said businesses affected by such a change would have to be grandfathered in or acquired by MAC. Commissioner Linnihan commented that it would be counterproductive and hurt Page 2 2007-04-11 Airport Relations Commission Minutes Bloomington businesses to return to “safe zones.” He then asked if the Mall of America would be affected, and Chair Petschel responded that it would not, with the whole orientation of the runways having been constructed to accommodate the Mall, being one foot at the end of the “safe zone” area. She said that she and Merland Otto had been appointed by the group to work on the legislative effort. There is a period of time before the committee hearings begin, and that Rick Hanson had suggested lobbying should be done. Chair Petschel reported that the next NOISE conference will be held in Atlanta and one agenda item is giving sound insulation money directly to cities, rather than to organizations such as MAC who currently distribute funds. Commissioner Linnihan commented that such a change would create a liability for the City, having to hire contractors, etc. Chair Petschel said it could be possible that cities utilize MAC staff to do the work. She noted the NOISE website for additional information regarding the national lobbying group. Chair Petschel reported that all NOC terms are expiring and NOC appointments would need to be reviewed, for purposes of the roster. Commission Meeting – April 11, 2007 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 3 B. NOC Meeting Update Chair Petschel stated that the NOC Meeting is used to address and share information and today the NWA chief pilot reported that 29 DC9s are coming out of service, reducing the fleet to under 200 and all being replaced by quiet regional jets, which is good news. She said it will happen gradually over the next few months. She next described the background of the six-week trial for Runway 17’s 215-degree departure over Burnsville and reported that MAC agreed unanimously that it had worked well and should be adopted as a permanent heading, though a few clusters of Bloomington residents had complained of increased noise. Chair Petschel commented on how the use of Runway 17 has changed since the Carl Rydeen letter. She displayed the March Technical Advisors Report and stated the numbers are looking better, down to 7.9% departures over Mendota Heights, noting the yearly average is around 11% and it is suppose to be around 9%. Chair Petschel said Page 3 2007-04-11 Airport Relations Commission Minutes Mr. Rydeen is on record now saying that he can do this, it’s a work in progress, and a lot of training has occurred for current controllers. Commissioner Ehrlich gave great credit to the submitted letter and Chair Petschel agreed, saying that a debt of gratitude was owed to Chad Levque. Commissioner Ehrlich suggested that a formal letter be written to keep the positive momentum going, and it was Commission consensus to send a letter of appreciation to Mr. Levque, Jeff Furman (Mr. Levque’s supervisor), and Mr. Rydeen and say ARC looks forward to further improvement. Chair Petschel commented that it shows NOC is working and there is accountability. Commissioner Linnihan said he is interested in seeing if it will have a long-term effect. He cited having to wait recently 40 minutes to take off on Runway 17/35. Chair Petschel responded that the Tower is monitoring the departure bank of aircraft and 17/35 should be no different than the 12L departure bank. She noted that the NWA chief pilot had said the difference between 17 and the 12s is that a waiting line is formed for the 12s, whereas a plane taxis a distance to a moving line for 17, resulting in the same waiting time. Mr. Sedlacek commented that good weather conditions have enabled numbers to look great for March, which may not be normal. He reported Mr. Rydeen said he will direct aircraft to parallels at night, as only two runways are needed on a given night, and so those percentages should remain high. Chair Petschel added that he would absolutely move aircraft to Runway 17 if there was a big back-up departure bank due to bad weather. Commissioner Linnihan asked about night-time operations once the runway is closed. Chair Petschel responded that MAC had not commented specifically about night-time operations but would be coming to the Mendota Heights’ open house on August 6 and could address those types of questions. Commission Meeting – April 11, 2007 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 4 Mr. Danielson stated that Ms. Miller had reported increased phone complaints over her city with the increased Runway 17 use. Chair Petschel said Ms. Miller had also stated the Page 4 2007-04-11 Airport Relations Commission Minutes third runway had not been built for sound mitigation but rather for capacity, which Chair Petschel said was definitely not true, that it had been sold to Mendota Heights inasmuch for sound relief. Commissioner Lorberbaum cited questions to be addressed in the future, such as where is the regional air plan, is there a long-term plan utilizing reliever airports, and what about Rochester? She said there doesn’t seem to be a sense of a master plan. Chair Petschel commented that Judge Aldridge is very keen and picks up on dynamics very quickly, is very outspoken, and has been tough on MAC and NWA legal counsels. She said Merland Otto mentioned that parties are anticipating an appeal directly to the Supreme Court, as it is assumed by parties that the lawsuit won’t go their way, but the Judge would like to see an agreement between MAC and the cities. C. Legislative Update Mr. Sedlacek reported that Senators Dahl and Metzen had not been heard at the day’s meeting and the Senate version of the proposed bill was laid over. He stated that Apple Valley’s agenda concerned noise; Richfield’s included noise, house moves, support for the expansion, and economic development; and Bloomington’s concerned MAC governance and training facilities for Public Safety staff. Mr. Sedlacek stated that discussion had ensued regarding the bill, that Bloomington’s Dan Larson was angry because he wanted action now and stated that it should have gone through. He also noted that Bloomington and Richfield do not have an appointed official on MAC and that no appointment has been made for the vacant seat, so their citizens’ voices are not being heard and there is no accountability. Chair Petschel added that there are currently no minimum qualifications for a MAC seat appointment, other than being a resident. Mr. Sedlacek said there was good discussion and a captive audience for the topic. He said Ann Rest mentioned wanting a joint hearing session but it has moved forward and there is opportunity to get the information out to the Senators and come back with a pair of companion bills at the next session. Mr. Sedlacek said it was most surprising Page 5 2007-04-11 Airport Relations Commission Minutes that MAC was not provided an opportunity to speak at the legislative meeting, though it was well represented. Discussion ensued regarding MAC’s reluctance to consider six representative seats (Mendota Heights, Eagan, Richfield, Bloomington plus Burnsville and Apple Valley), rather than the original one seat. It was noted that bringing more people on board and having more councils involved is an advantage to Mendota Heights but it also has muddied the waters. Chair Petschel said the NOC Cities Group needs to organize and get its message out. The MAC structure needs to be studied and how appointments are made, accountability, requirements for appointments, who approves appointments regionally in Commission Meeting – April 11, 2007 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 5 areas being represented. She said right now the Governor makes the six-year appointments, usually those who are politically in favor, and it may be good to change the method of appointment. Commissioner Ehrlich suggested that MAC structure be the topic of another meeting and consider what should get done if the whole thing were reformulated. Mr. Danielson added that it may be good to have someone attend who knows the legislature. Commissioner Linnihan said Mendota Heights’ position has to be presented to the NOC meeting and a timeline is needed. Chair Petschel agreed and said each city needs to do so and pool input and consensus. She said the Cities need to find out what the schedule is for hearings and get the message out, also suggesting that Merland Otto (who is knowledgeable about the airport side) attend a future ARC meeting. Commissioner Lorberbaum suggested preparing after the State Fair to spread the message at the March 2008 caucuses, bringing the topic forward from grassroots to the legislature. Chair Petschel added that it is not a single-party issue, rather bipartisan, and she would like to see something tangible come out of this. Discussion ensued as to when Chair Petschel’s term would expire on NOC, and Mr. Danielson said he would check and email the Commission. Commissioner Lorberbaum said knowledge and history are lost when a long-term member must step down, but it brings to light the need to be aware and figure out a learning process so Page 6 2007-04-11 Airport Relations Commission Minutes someone new can step smoothly into the vacancy. Chair Petschel said she would email Scott Beaty and ask for input, as she valued his opinion. D. MAC Open House Chair Petschel reported that MAC will be distributing information postcards in two mailings to 100,000 homes regarding Runway 12R (unavailable during construction from August 13 through October 17), expected increased flights on 12L (over nontraditional flight tracks), and MAC would be attending the Mendota Heights August 6 open house, 6:30-8:30 p.m. She recommended that ARC Commissioners attend, and all agreed to do so. Discussion ensued regarding a possible workshop and a future televised ARC meeting with a planned agenda (perhaps inviting Mr. Levque for an update). E. Plan of Action Chair Petschel asked Commissioners to review the 2006 Airport Noise Plan of Action document, make any revisions (things no longer pertinent, rewording, and/or deletions/additions), and bring back to the May ARC meeting, noting that it will be important to prioritize issues. Commission Meeting – April 11, 2007 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 6 She also noted that the Minneapolis lawsuit was in the March 30 Airport Noise Report and the balance was going well for the class action suit and cities. The Technical Advisor’s Report was reviewed and percentages compared. The new runway was utilized at 34.8%, with a goal of 37%, and Eagan was receiving its fair share of traffic. Night-time departures for Mendota Heights were at 23.2%, down from 28.6% last year, though Eagan received only 17.4%. It was noted that Mendota Heights is closer to the gates being used at night. Vice Chair Stein inquired about calibration of City noise meters. Chair Petschel responded that it is part of routine maintenance but it would be a good question to ask Mr. Levque when he attends a future meeting. Commissioner Linnihan also questioned how often the meters are tested for accuracy. Chair Petschel responded that it is claimed RMT numbers are compared to computer modeling numbers and the two are used to verify each other. She said routine maintenance is part of recalibration. Page 7 2007-04-11 Airport Relations Commission Minutes Acknowledge Receipt of Various Reports/Correspondence A. February 2007 ANOM Technical Advisor’s Report B. February 2007 ANOM Eagan/Mendota Heights Departure Corridor Analysis C. N.O.I.S.E. D. Airport Noise Report, March 16, 2006 E. Airport Noise Report, March 23, 2007 F. Airport Noise Report, March 30 2007 Other Commissioner Comments or Concerns None. Upcoming Meetings • City Council Meeting – April 17, 2007 – 7:30 p.m. • NOC Meeting – May 16, 2007 – 1:30 p.m. • MAC Meeting – April 16, 2007 – 1:00 p.m. Public Comments None. Adjourn Commissioner Linnihan made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Sloan, to adjourn the meeting at 8:39 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Mary Heintz TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc. Page 8