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2009-09-10 Airport Relations Commission MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES September 10, 2009 The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission was held on Thursday, September 10, 2009, at 7:03 p.m., in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, Minnesota. The following Commissioners were present: Liz Petschel, Chair; Robin Ehrlich, Vice Chair; Bill Dunn, Joe Hennessy, Sally Lorberbaum, Lyle Odland, and Dave Sloan, Commissioners. Also present were: Jake Sedlacek, Assistant to the City Administrator; Ultan Duggan, City Councilmember/NOC Representative and Rochelle Russo, Recorder. Not Present: None. Approval of Minutes Commissioner Lorberbaum requested a correction to page 2, paragraph 3, the last sentence to read “Capacity was described as: Waiting times, the time it takes for planes to take off and the time it takes for planes to reach the terminals.” Councilmember Duggan requested a correction to his title, to read “Councilmember/NOC Representative.” Councilmember Duggan requested a correction to page 1, under: Update from meeting with Diane Miller, City of Eagan, to read, “She stated Ms. Miller was very open and accepting.” Commissioner Ehrlich requested a correction to page 3, paragraph 1, sentence 5 to read “A new website update was given, a site offering real time information on flights, terminals and baggage claim.” A motion was made by Commissioner Lorberbaum, seconded by Commissioner Sloan, to approve the minutes of the August 12, 2009, ARC meeting as amended. It was approved by majority. Unfinished and New Business A. Introduction of John McDonald, MAC Commissioner The Commissioners introduced themselves to John McDonald and Chad Leqve. Commission Meeting – September 10, 2009 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 2 John Macdonald introduced himself to the Commission. He stated he has been a resident of Mendota Heights since December 1989, and has been on the MAC Board since February 2009. He stated how much he is enjoying the opportunity to look at different issues that he normally would not deal with. He noted that the MSP Airport is like a city itself, stating some issues that he deals with are: leases, employee contracts, and noise issues, which he knows are important to the ARC Commission as well, and commended the Commissioners for their service to the community. Chad Leqve introduced himself stating he has been with MAC for 13 years and is the manager of the noise programs. He noted it is always an honor to come before the ARC Commission and address any issues that are concerning the City. He stated he enjoys the longstanding working relationship that MAC and the City have. The Assistant to the City Administrator Sedlacek stated the meeting was being broadcasted live on the City Cable channel and could also be accessed at the City website www.mendota-heights.com. Chair Petschel stated the main focus of tonight’s meeting would be the opportunity to meet John McDonald, dialogue with him regarding his experience and things he has found interesting or challenging since being with the MAC board. The ARC Commission could then share their concerns and discuss items they plan to be working on in the upcoming year. John McDonald stated since his appointment he has dealt with controversial issues, within the airport itself beyond the noise levels, some of those being; the integration of Northwest Airlines into the Delta Airlines corporate structure and how that breaks down to the number of flights that will be taking off and landing at MSP. He reported Northwest Airlines had bonding issues dating back to the 1990 State Aid, stating under that agreement, Northwest agreed to maintain a certain level of activity. That activity he added, impacts the revenue generated by the Metropolitan Airport Commissions. He explained for example, when airports are a hub; people pay a fee to fly through the MSP hub, which provides revenue to the MAC. He noted how important it is for communities such as Mendota Heights to maintain MSP as a hub, as there are approximately 19 Fortune 500 Companies in the Twin Cities. Mr. McDonald also explained how important it is for these companies to attract talent using MSP’s ease of flying and access to international flights. He noted the issues being more complex than he initially thought they would be, with regards to maintaining the level of activity, getting Delta to commit to that level of activity, continuing MSP as a hub and servicing all types of the many travelers that fly through MSP. He stated all these issues impact the surrounding communities, noting he is very mindful of the issues and is happy to represent the City as well as working with the ARC Commission. Mr. McDonald reported also on the misunderstanding regarding the money spent on the new signs. He stated he understands the concerns of the community during these hard economic times, however he felt there was a need for the signs and explained reasons he voted in favor of them. He stated new airlines are coming, Southwest for example, and Commission Meeting – September 10, 2009 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 3 many more flights will be shifted to the Humphrey terminal. The Humphrey terminal is going to expand, with new gates added as more flights arrive and depart from there. He stated MSP has a confusing entryway into the Airport, with the two terminals. Those not familiar with the Twin Cities area need to have good signage differentiating the terminals and good directions on how to drive to them. He stated the signs were costly because the signs had to be installed on the freeways on the airport perimeter and fulfill MNDOT regulations. He stated he took a tour recently of the airport and was quite impressed with the preparedness of the entire airport facility, which includes fire, police and maintenance departments there. He stated currently MSP is repairing 12L and has asked Mr. Leqve to give a brief presentation of what is transpiring in the construction and how it may impact the community. Chad Leqve reviewed background information on the Runway 30R/12L Construction project. He stated the north parallel runway closed on August 18, with the center section, which is approximately 3800 feet, being completely replaced. He stated this is a very significant effort, which will enhance the airport. Once the project is done, all of the runway pavements will be newer concrete with a pavement life of 40 to 50 years. He explained there are 55 working days with 7 rain days scheduled for the reconstruction with a reopening date of October 30, 2009. Currently the project is ahead of schedule, with work moving along at a great pace. He reviewed noticeable changes during this reconstruction period, all being non standard operations, as the following: no operations on Runway 30R/12L meaning reduced operations over Mendota Heights, landings on Runway 17 over downtown Minneapolis, landings on Runway 22 over Highland Park and departures on Runway 35 over South Minneapolis. He presented a graph of MSP Flight Track Maps. Mr. Leqve reported there have been many discussions regarding the flight pattern changes with the NOC Committee. He reviewed the Communication Plan effort the Committee focused on which included the following: MSP Noise Newsletter, web pages developed on the website specifically designated to the reconstruction project, a series (approximately 98,000) of post cards were mailed to residents in May and July and four Community Open Houses were held in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Eagan and Bloomington prior to reconstruction starting. He reviewed graphics of the Newsletter, website and postcards, noting he felt it was a very successful effort. Chair Petschel stated she has gotten calls during the construction project from residents closer to the 110 or 115 degree heading which travels over Resurrection Cemetery. They feel they are experiencing a tremendous number of operations overhea. Mr. Leqve stated he understands the concerns, explaining unfortunately any time a major runway is closed and a shift in traffic occurs to another runway, the traffic multiplies, therefore very noticeably. He noted he has also taken numerous calls from the Minneapolis residents. Discussion ensued regarding the effect of the wind patterns and the impact winds have on noise, with prevailing wind patterns dictating the way an airport operates. Commission Meeting – September 10, 2009 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 4 Vice Chair Ehrlich asked about the usage of Runway 22 with activity over Highland Park. Mr. Leqve replied the use of Runway 22, with the north parallel runway closed, is easier for the FAA, explaining the coordination between the usages of the two runways provide more flexibility. Commissioner Lorberbaum asked if mailings or notifications were also sent to people who have complained in the past. Mr. Leqve replied that the mailings were determined after detailed, target and logistical discussions with NOC. Chair Petschel also stated that all of the information is included on the Metropolitan Airports Commission Noise Programs website at www.macnoise.com. Mr. Leqve stated residents can also subscribe free of charge to the newsletter on the website. Mr. Leqve lastly reviewed present night time runway use. He stated the NOC included this topic on their 2009 work plan, a concept to reevaluate how the FAA is doing in this area. He presented a graph view of night time runway use patterns from August 2008 to August 2009. The data was obtained from one of the FAA databases that logged northwest and southeast runway flows and separated them into two graphs showing the following: operations at MSP when the airport was in a north flow, and operations at MSP when the airport was in a south flow. He noted the south operational flow is the flow that is of most interest to Mendota Heights. He provided statistics on nighttime use stating Runway 17 departure operations were 2.9% of the total. He stated the highest used night time departure runway at MSP in southeast operational flows was Runway 12L at 55.3% followed by Runway 12R at 33.6%. He stated he wanted to provide the given information to the ARC Commission as he knew it was of interest. Chair Petschel stated she appreciated the information Mr. Leqve has provided. Chair Petschel stated 12L and 30R regardless of the flow, is handling 60-70% of night time operations. She reviewed background information, stating last year at a NOC meeting, the City of Eagan addressed the group and asked for a change, being, all operations be taken off of 17 in terms of night time departures, as they felt the total amount of operations were not sizable enough to justify the usage of the runway. ARC objected at that time as they were concerned all operations from 17 would then end up on 12L, which she stated has happened. Mr. Leqve stated this is an example of the importance of the NOC group, noting he realizes this is the beginning of upcoming discussions. Chair Petschel stated one of the strengths of the NOC is the communities have been coming together, functioning as one, explaining in years past the communities were pitted against each other, which was very unproductive. She stated she takes pride in the fact that the communities of NOC are working together now. Discussion ensued regarding types of planes operating off of 12L as well as topics and questions that could be addressed at a future meeting with NOC. Commission Meeting – September 10, 2009 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 5 Vice Chair Ehrlich recommended having FAA members attend a future meeting. Chair Petschel agreed. Commissioner Sloan asked if the information given on the NOC reports could be shown in another way, stating he finds it confusing to decipher the charts and graphs with all of the lines on them. Mr. Leqve replied yes, the graphs could continue to be improved and welcomes any ideas suggesting improvements. He stated because there is so much data to include on a graph, it can sometimes be a difficult process. Mr. Leqve stated MAC is in the final phases of developing a new flight tracking system, which is a way to collect flight track data in a timely fashion. He stated is would be independent of FAA equipment, noting with their own software, flight track data would be obtained within ten minutes, compared to the current time delay of five days. He stated they are excited about this system and would be giving an update at a future NOC meeting. Discussion ensued regarding a taxiway between 12R and 12L. Mr. Leqve noted this type of project would require the inbound and outbound roadways elevations to be reduced and relocated. Cost concerns and the usage of the AB concourse area are currently in discussion and would be considered in the planning decision of this project. Discussion ensued regarding the Operational Forecast and the potential need for a third parallel runway. Chair Petschel noted it would be important to monitor this on behalf of the City. Mr. Leqve stated the importance of leveraging navigational technology and replied to the question about a third parallel runway, stating there is currently no discussion of one in the 2030 long term comprehensive plan. Discussion ensued regarding enhancements that are planned for the Humphrey Terminal. Mr. Leqve explained as more flights arrive and depart from Humphrey, the need for parking would increase as well as other amenities such as rental cars and are included in the long term comprehensive plan. Vice Chair Ehrlich reviewed the ARC Plan of Action with Commissioner McDonald and noted that the various issues the commission looks at: monitoring on a monthly basis the number of aircraft that fly north of 110, keeping that number as low as possible and equitable usage of the runways. It was stated that communication is very important between MAC and the ARC, keeping an open dialogue and passing information to the residents. Mr. McDonald reflected on positive aspects of MSP, including the teardown of many old structures with the intention to expand gates. He stated there have also been significant upgrades in the actual use of the airport such as nice restaurants in which he has received numerous compliments from MSP travelers. He stated these aspects add to the Commission Meeting – September 10, 2009 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 6 convenience of customers using the airport. He encouraged the continuing dialogue stating he is happy to attend the ARC meetings when ever requested. Chair Petschel asked if Mr. McDonald would like to be copied on the ARC Meeting minutes. Mr. McDonald replied yes. Chair Petschel asked if MAC has any offsite meetings planned. Mr. Leqve replied the next MAC meeting is scheduled for September 21, 2009. NOC representatives will be given the finalized time and whereabouts to pass on to the ARC Commission. The meeting would also be publicized on the website. Commissioner Sloan asked about the expansion of Terminal G and if it would have the impact of moving regional jets. Mr. Leqve stated yes, the expansion is driven by demand and would accommodate additional operational growth at the airport. Discussion ensued regarding RNAV technology and the future impact on communities as automated flight headings will shift and be concentrated over freeways instead of homes. Mr. McDonald thanked the Commission for the opportunity to work together. The Commissioners also thanked Mr. McDonald and Mr. Leqve for attending and for all of their information they provided. B. Updates for Introduction Book None. Acknowledge Receipt of Various Reports/Correspondence A. July 2009 NOC Technical Advisor’s Report B. July 2009 Eagan/Mendota Heights Departure Corridor Analysis C. August 7, 2009 Airport Noise Report D. August 14, 2009 Airport Noise Report E. August 21, 2009 Airport Noise Report F. August 28, 2009 Airport Noise Report G. MSP Long Term Comprehensive Plan Update H. 2010 CIP Other Commission Comments or Concerns Chair Petschel stated there will be a joint Airport Relations Meeting with the City of Eagan on November 18, 2009 at the Mendota Heights City Hall. It was discussed to hold the meeting in the Council Chambers due to the number of persons who will be attending. It was discussed that Assistant to the City Administrator Sedlacek would provide the City of Eagan with the topics of discussion including: Capital Improvement Plan, Community Outreach and Plan of Action. Commission Meeting – September 10, 2009 Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission 7 It was the consensus of the Commission to send thank you notes/gifts to Mr. McDonald and Mr. Leqve in appreciation for their services and continuing support to ARC. Upcoming Meetings • Noise Oversight Committee 9-16-09 1:30 p.m. • MAC Off campus Meeting 9-21-09 (time and location to come) • City Council Meeting 9-15-09 7:00 p.m. • Planning Commission Meeting 9-22-09 7:00 p.m. • 2nd Annual Par 3 Invitational 9-26-09 10:00 a.m. • Long Term Comprehensive Plan discussion with City Council 10-06-09 • Joint Airport Relations Meeting 11-18-09 Councilmember Duggan reported the going away party for Jim Danielson would be held September 18, 2009. He asked that Commissioners call Linda Shipton at City Hall if they plan on attending. Public Comments None. Adjourn Commissioner Sloan made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Dunn, to adjourn the meeting at 9:05 p.m. It was approved unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Rochelle Russo TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.