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2008-08-13 Airport Relations Commission Minutes2008-08-13 Airport Relations Commission Minutes.txt[1/25/2018 4:04:22 PM] CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES August 13, 2008 The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission was held on Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 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; Robin Ehrlich, Vice Chair; Bill Dunn and Dave Sloan, Commissioners. Also present were: Chad Leqve, MAC; Carl Rydeen, FAA; Ultan Duggan and Sandra Krebsbach, Councilmembers; Jim Danielson, City Administrator; Jake Sedlacek, Assistant to the City Administrator; and Mary Heintz, Recorder. Not Present: Sally Lorberbaum, Lyle Odland, and Ken Reed, Commissioners. Approval of Minutes It was Commission consensus to delay approval of the minutes of July 9, 2008, ARC meeting to the September meeting agenda. Unfinished and New Business Introductions were made, and Vice Chair Ehrlich offered a brief introduction to the evening’s proposed discussion. A. Discussion with Chad Leqve, MAC, and Carl Rydeen, FAA. Mr. Leqve responded to questions that had been submitted by ARC in advance of the evening’s meeting. 1. “Can pilots flying propeller aircraft change the throttle setting to reduce noise?” Yes, Mesaba utilizes some power setting schemes to reduce noise and fuel usage, operating 10-15 % off full throttle when departing. 2. “Are the majority of general aviation aircraft coming from the same operator?” The largest turbo prop operator is Mesaba, with Bemidji Air at 11.8%. 3. “Is the monitoring of the number of these aircraft and the noise they generate included in the Part 150?” Yes, it is included in the air contour. The impetus for the settlement had 159 average daily propeller operations. 4. “Does the number of general aviation flights make the corridor report inaccurate?” No. The corridor report is intended to monitor and evaluate carrier jet aircraft. Props don’t have to abide by the corridor because 1) they are the most quiet that fly out of Commission Meeting – August 13, 2008 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 2 the airport and 2) the idea of moving slower aircraft in with faster moving ones can’t be mitigated from the ATC perspective. 5. “How many general aviation aircraft does the airport see 5-9 a.m. and 8 p.m. to midnight?” Between January and June 2008, there were 28.5 average daily prop and turbo aircraft 5-9 a.m. and 22.3 aircraft 8 p.m. to midnight, including Mesaba and off all four runways. 6. “Doesn’t a general aviation aircraft that is generating 60 decibels of sound need to be monitored?” The question was restated as “What noise monitoring parameters are in the system?” To classify aircraft noise, if a noise event is above 63 decibels more than eight seconds and reaches a peak of 65, that noise event is categorized as a 2008-08-13 Airport Relations Commission Minutes.txt[1/25/2018 4:04:22 PM] perspective aircraft noise and then flight track data is analyzed to identify a corresponding match. It was noted that a normal urban environment is 63 decibels (examples such as garbage truck beepers and lawn mowers) and so there is a fine line of distinction. There will be need to continue monitoring of the threshold as aircraft become more quiet and community noise levels increase. A particular concern was expressed by Councilmember Krebsbach about noise on 110. Mr. Leqve stated that there were 450,000 operations in 2007 and a mix of fleet, with a quarter of those being CRJs and the noisier DC9s being at the lowest number they have ever been. 7. “Vice Chair Ehrlich’s request to review the take-off pattern on Thursday, July 10, from 9:30 p.m. until about 11:00 p.m. He stated that there were a very large number of flights north of the corridor that evening that would be interesting to understand.” Following a detailed analysis of the flight time and location, the aircraft was likely a prop, which is not required to comply with the corridor. Vice Chair Ehrlich commented that he felt reports produced have been inaccurate, specifically the noise footprint of aircraft for his house, and said it should be discussed with NOC. Mr. Leqve stated that all operations are included in the footprint and, to assess accurate compliance monitoring for specifics, there will be need to make sure analysis criteria being used are specifically tailored to assess how things are happening relative to the desired location. He said the desired action is keeping jet aircraft within the Eagan and Mendota Heights corridor, which is why the reports looks at jet aircraft, adding that it impacts capacity to implement at the airport. Vice Chair Ehrlich commented further that it seems inappropriate for turbos to have no limits, and Mr. Leqve said the FAA evaluates environmentally according to the National Environmental Policy Act. Vice Chair Ehrlich asked what can be done to protect neighborhood above 110 to make less of an impact. Mr. Leqve said the majority is commercial operators, including Mesaba and Bemidji, and, though he would like to find a solution, he could not deny that living near a major international airport has its challenges. He noted that propeller numbers are going down at the airport and regional jets have to stay within the corridor, which is the biggest growing segment of the fleet. Commission Meeting – August 13, 2008 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 3 Mr. Leqve reported that the Quality Assurance staff person had analyzed the tape and radar of the time/location in question and said 11 or more jets were counted and a senior controller was using that particular heading, which was not accurate that night and may have been due to a northbound departure rush for destinations to Boston and Europe. Councilmember Krebsbach asked whether controller records were reviewed, and Mr. Rydeen reported that they are and anomalies would be dealt with during performance reviews, utilizing Vice Chair Ehrlich’s email message as a basis for discussion with the identified controller in this particular instance. He also said he is looking at aircraft turning early off runways and holding staff accountable for those action, again as part of performance evaluations, but acknowledging that monitoring is not high on management’s radar for purposes of safety. Councilmember Krebsbach inquired about capacity of the Anoka airport following its expansion, and Mr. Leqve said the airport could now accommodate business jets. Commissioner Dunn said he was amazed that the Anoka site comprises the same acreage as MSP. The Commission thanked Mssrs. Rydeen and Leqve for attending the ARC meeting and responding to concerns, and they in turn said they enjoyed doing so. Mr. Leqve commented about the good results that have come out of Mr. Rydeen’s effective cooperation with the City and said he and Mr. Rydeen appreciated receipt of ARC’s questions in advance, which made the evening’s discussion more efficient and 2008-08-13 Airport Relations Commission Minutes.txt[1/25/2018 4:04:22 PM] productive. Councilmember Krebsbach said she’d noticed that current departure percentages match within one percent the number of departures during peak use before runway 17 was built. Chair Petschel agreed and said the numbers are more equitable between 12R and 12L. She stated that she is absolutely thrilled and ARC and the City as so appreciative, that it means a lot to Mendota Heights. Mr. Leqve said he would share their compliments and noted that education is ongoing. Councilmember Duggan asked about the anticipated effect during the upcoming Republican National Convention. Mr. Leqve reported that there will be an increase in flights but there will be 3-4 days of advanced notice to set up special procedures. He did note that there will be private jets coming in that St. Paul will also receive as well as F16s, which require a lot of monitoring. Commissioner Sloan expressed his personal appreciation to Mr. Rydeen and commented that people do pay attention to what management is looking at and reviewing, which is why results have been better because those in charge will be held accountable for following procedures. Mr. Rydeen emphasized that he didn’t want to give the impression that staff responsible for the identified flights in July weren’t doing their jobs back then at that time. Chair Petschel commented that there is a learning curve during personnel turnover in the tower and the combination of that and the additional runway had to be daunting. Commission Meeting – August 13, 2008 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 4 Chair Petschel then expressed her excitement for the upcoming RNAV, which is scheduled to go into effect September 24. Mr. Leqve reported that there is need for additional work and that there may be delay of 1-2 months. Mr. Rydeen added that not all airplane computers are up to date and there is need for FAA to clamp down on new procedures to ensure safety in standardization, which involves an 18-step process. He also stated that Northwest Airlines is the only one to use RNAV now but that General Mills, as an example, has also expressed its interest. Mssrs. Rydeen and Leqve then excused themselves from the meeting. Councilmember Duggan requested that City staff send a letter of appreciation to Mssrs. Rydeen and Leqve. Discussion ensued about the televising a few upcoming ARC meetings, and it was Commission consensus that the City Administrator contact Rick Hanson for a possible televised meeting. Councilmember Krebsbach commented that it is good for the Community to know the leadership teams, that ARC contributes to residents’ quality of life, and a way to recognize and extend appreciation to Commission members. Councilmember Duggan requested that, once confirmed, the ARC Meeting selected to be televised by announced at the Council, Park and Recreation, and Planning meetings. B. July 14, 2008, NOC Meeting Update Chair Petschel reported that two topics were the bulk of the last NOC Meeting, which was a very frank one, and consisted of an update on the RNAV, standardizing procedures and moving into place, and discussion regarding the Inver Grove Heights letter. C. Updates for Introduction Book None. Acknowledge Receipt of Various Reports/Correspondence 2008-08-13 Airport Relations Commission Minutes.txt[1/25/2018 4:04:22 PM] It was Commission consensus the numbers have been very good in the reports. A. June 2008 ANOM Technical Advisor’s Report B. June 2008 (New Format) ANOM Eagan/Mendota Heights Departure Corridor Analysis C. Airport Noise Report, July 3, 2008 D. Airport Noise Report, July 18, 2008 E. Airport Noise Report, July 25, 2008 F. Airport Noise Report, August 1, 2008 Other Commission Comments or Concerns None. Commission Meeting – August 13, 2008 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 5 Upcoming Meetings A suggestion was made that a representative of the Northwest training facility attend an upcoming ARC meeting, perhaps in October, to discuss new aircraft. • MAC Meeting – August 18, 2008 – 1:00 p.m. • City Council Meeting – August 19, 2008 – 7:00 p.m. • Planning Commission – August 26, 2008 – 7:00 p.m. Public Comments None. Adjourn Commissioner Sloan made a motion, seconded by Vice Chair Ehrlich, to adjourn the meeting at 8:33 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Mary Heintz TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.