ARC Packet 07-11-2023CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION
July 11, 2023 6:00 p.m.
City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Agenda
3. Approval of Minutes
a. May 17, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes
4. Public Comments
5. Unfinished and New Business
a. FAA Noise Policy Review Public Comment Letter
6. Acknowledge Receipt of Reports and Correspondence a. Review of Airport Operational Statistics (link: https://www.macenvironment.org/reports/)
1. Complaint Information
2. Runway Use Information
3. Noise Monitor Information
a. MAC Reports
b. News Articles
7. Commissioner Comments
8. Adjourn Meeting
Alternate formats or auxiliary aids are available to individuals with disabilities upon request. Please contact city hall at 651-452-1850 or cityhall@mendotaheightsmn.gov
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION
May 17, 2023 6:00 p.m.
City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve
The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission was held on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve.
1. Call to Order
Chair Norling called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.
Commissioners present: Gina Norling, William Dunn, David Sloan, Jim Neuharth, Bruce Bobbitt,
and Arvind Sharma. Commissioners absent: Jeff Hamiel.
Staff present: City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson and Office Support Assistant Sheila Robertson.
2. Approval of Agenda Motion by Sloan and second by Dunn to approve the agenda. Motion carried 6-0. 3. Approval of Minutes a. March 15, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes Motion by Sharma and second by Dunn to approve the minutes pending grammatical errors to be reviewed, identified, and corrected by City Clerk Lusian. Motion carried 6-0. 4. Public Comments Scott Norling, of 1280 Lakeview Ave, reviewed the 2018 Very High Frequency Omni-Directional
Range (VOR) decommissioning and introduction of Area Navigation (RNAV), per a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) presentation at the January Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) meeting. He shared unofficial charts and maps that demonstrated various data points, such as houses in Mendota Heights that are only 1½ miles off of 12L, where planes are still flying at low takeoff altitudes and receiving more noise. He stated that he’s cautiously optimistic that the
NOC wants to help mitigate noise over the Eagan/Mendota Heights Corridor.
5. Unfinished and New Business
a. FAA Noise Policy Review Public Comment Period
City Administrator Jacobson asked the Commission to review links to the FAA’s Request for
Comments published in the Federal Register. She asked the Commission if they then would
want to submit comments on behalf of the city with City Council approval. She stated the
NOC will have their draft comment letter done around June 20, so the Airport Relations
Commission (ARC) could schedule a special meeting in June or July in order to review after
that point and draft a city comment letter. Public comments are due to the FAA by July 31.
Commissioner Neuharth made a motion to wait until the NOC’s draft letter comes out before holding a special meeting in June or July and writing a letter from the ARC. Second by Sloan. Motion carried 6-0.
City Administrator Jacobson will coordinate meeting date options with the ARC, noting a letter would need to be completed by July 13 in order to be added to the July 18 City Council meeting agenda. b. ARC 2023-2024 Work Plan Chair Norling asked if the ARC could make the RNAV work a separate priority item.
City Administrator Jacobson suggested making it an action item under the “Noise
Mitigation” heading.
Commissioner Bobbitt recommended setting an attainable number of goals to be focused
and honed in on.
Chair Norling suggested holding a NOC listening session after the RNAV work is completed.
Commissioner Sharma asked if there are any City events coming up that the ARC could be
present at.
City Administrator Jacobson noted the City’s annual Parks Celebration on August 12 may provide an option to have a presence at. 6. Acknowledge Receipt of Reports and Correspondence a. Review of Airport Operational Statistics (link: https://www.macenvironment.org/reports/) City Administrator Jacobson presented charts on “12R Total Operations”, “12R Night Operations”, “12L Nighttime Operations”, and “Departures North of the Corridor”. 1. Complaint Information Complaints are low at this time. 2. Runway Use Information NA 3. Noise Monitor Information
Commissioner Dunn stated that information hasn’t changed much at this time.
a. MAC Reports
NA
b. News Articles
NA
7. Commissioner Comments
City Administrator Jacobson noted that the July meeting will be a joint meeting with the
Eagan ARC, which will be hosted by the Mendota Heights ARC, on July 19. She added that
she’ll set up a special meeting regarding the follow up to the FAA Noise Policy Review.
8. Adjourn Meeting Motion by Neuharth and second by Sloan to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 6-0. Chair Norling adjourned the meeting at 7:12pm.
Minutes taken by Sheila Robertson
Office Support Assistant
_____________________________________________________ Airport Relations Commission
DATE: July 11, 2023
TO: Airport Relations Commission
FROM: Cheryl Jacobson, City Administrator
SUBJECT: FAA-Noise Policy Review Comment Period
INTRODUCTION
On Monday, May 1, 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published in the
Federal Register a Request for Comments seeking public input on four key
considerations of its Civil Aviation Noise Policy. The FAA is asking the public for input
regarding how the FAA analyzes, explains, and presents publicly changes in aircraft
noise exposure to affected communities.
BACKGROUND
The Request for Comment builds on and responds to public feedback on the FAA’s
January 13, 2021 Federal Register Notice. That Notice provided an overview of the FAA’s
noise research portfolio and sought input to assist the FAA in assessing how resources
should be directed to better understand and manage the factors underlying concerns
from aircraft noise exposure.
The primary question of interest that the FAA is now seeking input on is, should FAA
transition away from a monolithic noise policy with a single metric comprising the
system in favor of an expanded system of metrics? As part of the review, the FAA is:
• Looking at current use of DNL or Day-Night Average Sound Level as the primary
noise metric for assessing cumulative aircraft noise exposure.
• Reviewing whether to continue to use the DNL 65 dB level as the metric and
threshold for determining significant noise impacts in environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act or the definition of the limit of
residential land use compatibility.
• Considering if and how alternative noise metrics may be used in lieu of or in
addition to DNL to better inform agency decisions and improve FAA’s disclosure
of noise impacts.
Additional information, including a series of short videos explaining the Noise Policy
Review at: https://www.faa.gov/noisepolicyreview.
Attachments: MAC- Noise Oversight Committee Letter – June 20, 2023
ACTION REQUESTED The posting of the Request for Comments started a 90-day comment period during
which the public can share their input by submitting a written comment to Docket FAA-
2023-0855 at www.regulations.gov. The comment period closes Monday, July 31, 2023.
The Commission should discuss the Request for Comments and determine if comments
from the city will be submitted. The deadline for a draft is July 13 for consideration by the city council at its July 18 meeting.
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June 20, 2023
Mr. Kevin Welsh
Director, Office of Environment and Energy
Federal Aviation Administration
Docket Operations, M-30
US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Room W12-140, West Building, Ground Floor
Washington, DC 20590
Re: Docket No. FAA-2023-0855
“Request for Comments on the Federal Aviation Administration’s Review of the Civil
Aviation Noise Policy”
Dear Mr. Welsh:
Thank you for inviting comment on the review of the civil aviation noise policy being undertaken
by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to define, assess, and communicate aircraft noise
exposure and impacts. The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) Noise Oversight
Committee (NOC) has monitored the FAA’s Noise Policy Review process with keen interest. The
NOC previously commented on the request for comment on the Neighborhood Environmental
Survey, Docket No. FAA-2021-0037.
The NOC is the primary advisory body on aircraft noise issues associated with MSP. The NOC is
comprised of six community representatives and six aviation industry representatives who
provide policy recommendations to the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which owns
and operates MSP 1. For 20 years, the NOC has provided a balanced forum and amassed a
distinguished record of identifying and analyzing airport noise issues around MSP, which has
resulted in the development of many innovative solutions through sophisticated evaluation of
noise issues.2 These solutions are based both in acoustical methods, such as sound insulation and
1 The NOC airport user representation includes air carriers, cargo air carriers, chief pilots, charter air
carriers, and the Minnesota Business Aviation Association. NOC community representation includes
the cities of Bloomington, Eagan, Mendota Heights, Minneapolis, Richfield and an At-Large
community seat representing the cities of Apple Valley, Burnsville, Edina, Inver Grove Heights, St.
Louis Park, St. Paul and Sunfish Lake.
2 Please see https://metroairports.org/noc-work-plans-and-accomplishments.
6040 28th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55450 • 612-467-0741
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noise abatement mitigation, as well as non-acoustic methods, such as stakeholder and
community collaboration and engagement. The NOC recognizes the importance of this work and,
in conjunction with MAC staff, works to maintain strong partnerships with the airlines, airport,
community, and FAA through a robust calendar of engagements designed to meet and
collaborate with our stakeholders.
It is from this experience that the NOC formulates the following comments and suggestions in
response to the FAA’s request for public comment on the Review of the Civil Aviation Noise Policy.
First, the NOC would like to address the question regarding the information FAA should be using
to inform decisions about an updated noise policy. Rather than resting only on the results of the
Neighborhood Environmental Survey and subsequent public comments, the NOC would
encourage the FAA to complete its current research efforts. Data from ongoing research, such as
auditory and non-auditory effects and epidemiological studies currently underway by the FAA,
are crucial elements in the portfolio of scientific evidence on the impact of aviation in the
community. Scientific evidence resulting from the FAA’s studies on children’s learning, impacts to
cardiovascular health, sleep disturbance and economic impacts is necessary to inform
policymakers on the best use of resources and techniques available to minimize aircraft noise
impact on our communities.
Second, an overarching comment relates to the FAA’s intent on reviewing its noise policy to
consider revisions every three to five years. While a regular review of best available data and
consideration of supplemental metrics to inform decision-making could be useful, regular and
frequent noise policy changes to metrics and thresholds of significance will likely disrupt active or
proposed processes – such as land use planning, noise mitigation measures, airport long-term
plans and environmental reviews – which require time to establish and/or complete. These
processes, particularly corrective and preventative land use management, require a stable noise
metric and policy. Substantial time, effort and investment has gone into corrective and
preventative land use management around MSP. Over 19,000 homes around the airport have
been offered noise relief through MAC’s Airport Noise Mitigation Program and the communities
have conducted land use planning and zoning efforts based on the DNL metric. A change to the
metric and threshold used for determining compatible land use and mitigation eligibility would
take time to adopt into practice for both the airport and surrounding communities. Revisions to
noise policy to determine compatible land use and noise mitigation eligibility every three to five
years would be problematic for the airport and communities to easily and readily adopt.
Additionally, frequent changes could add to public confusion and weariness about the definition
of acceptable and unacceptable aircraft noise levels. The NOC encourages the FAA to establish a
new noise policy that is stable, well-understood and well-researched to limit disruptive and
confusing changes for our communities. One way to do this is to complete and incorporate
findings from the FAA’s aforementioned research initiatives.
The third comment relates to the FAA’s statement that the noise policy review is not intended to
reduce noise exposure. The NOC has and continues to advocate for the reduction of noise
exposure through the advancement of technology. The NOC concurs with the accompanying
framing paper which states that the adoption of quieter technology and voluntary noise
abatement procedures are necessary to reduce aviation noise exposure. The NOC encourages
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the FAA to accelerate the implementation of creative noise reduction strategies that take noise
sensitive areas into account including noise abatement procedures, procedure development, and
runway use. Technology designed to reduce noise at the source is tremendously beneficial to
residents and often provides mutual benefits to airports and operators. Federally developed
incentive programs should be considered for aircraft operators to install or employ noise
reduction equipment, as well as methods to accelerate the adoption of these systems and
incorporate noise reduction equipment into the fleet as quickly as possible. The NOC encourages
the FAA to build capabilities into the Aviation Environmental Design Tool to quantify the noise
reduction benefits provided by advanced noise reduction technology and accurately model low-
noise abatement procedures and systems. These capabilities would allow the agency to further
reduce the impact on affected communities by actively designing and implementing noise
abatement procedures at airports, which would reduce the frequency of flights over residential
and other sensitive land uses.
The FAA asked about the concerns voiced by residents outside the 65 decibel (dB) Day-Night
Average Sound Level (DNL) contour and sought clarification regarding how the FAA could better
communicate noise impacts to benefit the public. Ninety-nine percent of MSP noise complaints
in 2022 were submitted by residents outside the 65 dB DNL contour. In addition to overall noise,
residents express concerns about the frequency of aircraft operations and the time of day those
operations occur. Given that, the calculation of DNL or a revised metric should continue to
account for increased nighttime disturbance. The NOC has found that companion and
supplemental noise metrics add clarity when communicating noise exposure and that they aid in
decision-making, particularly related to proposed flight procedure changes. Metrics such as
number of events and the time above decibel thresholds, as well as maximum sound levels, both
augment the benefits of DNL and communicate more effectively to concerned residents who feel
an average level is not representative of their experience. Additionally, DNL noise contours often
lead to misconceptions that homes outside the contours should have no aircraft noise exposure.
Using other metrics sets a more realistic expectation of noise exposure for residents outside
published DNL contours.
Given NOC’s experience using supplemental and companion metrics to communicate impacts,
the NOC believes there is an opportunity for the FAA Air Traffic Organization to improve both the
evaluation and communication of noise and environmental changes resulting from new or
modified flight procedures. Recently, when the City of Eagan developed several flight procedure
modification requests, the NOC utilized companion metrics to evaluate the resultant noise
impacts. Understanding how a flight procedure change would increase or decrease the number
of events exceeding 65 dB in communities led to a well-researched, balanced, justified and clear
decision.
The NOC appreciates the FAA’s commitment to engagement and communication with
stakeholders during the development of new Performance Based Navigation procedures.
However, there remains an opportunity for the FAA to share information with the public early
and often using plain language, clear visual representations of proposed flight procedure changes
and companion metrics to help communicate impacts to communities.
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Thank you for recognizing the vital role the NOC provides in developing recommendations for the
MAC. The NOC is poised and eager to participate in discussions regarding the FAA’s future
decisions on federal noise policy.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Jacobson Jeff Hart
MSP NOC Co-chair MSP NOC Co-chair
City Administrator General Manager – Airport Customer Service
City of Mendota Heights Delta Air Lines
cc: MAC Planning, Development & Environment Committee
Brian Ryks, MAC Executive Director / CEO