ARC Packet 01-24-2024Posted 1/19/2024
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION
January 24, 2024 6:00 p.m.
City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. CONSENT AGENDA
a. Approve Minutes from the November 15, 2023 Meeting
b. Acknowledge Airport Operational Statistics Reports
1. Complaint Information
2. Runway Use Information
3. Noise Monitor Information
3. PUBLIC COMMENTS
4. BUSINESS
a. FAA’s MSP RNAV Departure Procedure Development
5. INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE
6. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
7. ADJOURN
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
November 15, 2023 6:00 p.m.
City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve
A regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission was held on Wednesday,
November 15, 2023 at Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve.
1. Call to Order
Due to the Chair and Vice Chair being absent, City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson called the
meeting to order at 6:00pm.
Motion by Bobbitt and a second by Hamiel to elect David Sloan as a temporary Chair for
the meeting.
Motion carried 5-0.
Commissioners present: Sloan, Dunn, Neuharth, Hamiel and Bobbitt. Commissioners absent:
Norling and Sharma. Staff present: City Administrator Jacobson and Parks and Recreation
Manager Lawrence.
2. Consent Agenda
City Administrator Jacobson presented the consent agenda:
a. Approve Minutes from the September 20, 2023 meeting
b. Acknowledge Airport Operational Statistics Reports
i. Complaint Information
ii. Runway Use Information
iii. Noise Monitor Information
Motion by Bobbitt and a second by Hamiel to approve the consent agenda as presented.
Motion carried 5-0.
3. Public Comments
There were no members of the public present.
4. Business
a. Update on MSP VOR-MON and Procedure Development
City Administrator Jacobson presented information on the FAA’s proposed RNAV
procedures that are being reviewed by the Noise Oversight Committee (NOC). A
subcommittee of the NOC has been formed that City Administrator Jacobson sits on.
Commission members reviewed a map from May 17, 2023 that outlines historical data
in regards to departures. With the VOR-MON being decommissioned the RNVAV
procedures are being updated with the goal of enhancing safety and maintaining
efficiency.
The Commission discussed how RNAV was proposed about ten years ago and that now
the FAA has more tools for a successful implementation. Commissioners present
reviewed departures from runways 12L, 12R and 17 and reviewed initial leg types.
Commissioner Bobbitt shared that ideally the planes would take off on the 35/494 area,
but that may be difficult to achieve. Commissioner Hamiel commented that as
technology continues to improve, engine noise will likely continue to decrease.
The general consensus regarding the procedure development was that as of now there
is not enough information, but as more information comes along the Commission will
continue to review what is provided to provide feedback.
City Administrator Jacobson shared that the City of Minneapolis just released a Request
for Proposals (RFP) for a third party to review the discussed procedures. The City of
Minneapolis had reached out to the City of Mendota Heights to see if they had interest
in hiring a consultant as well. The consensus of the Commissioners was to try to review
the data and procedures on their own first, before hiring a consultant if necessary.
b. Review of Commissioner Terms
City Administrator Jacobson presented information on the term limits approved by the
City Council moving forward. Commissioner Dunn had earlier advised staff assign terms
however they see fit. City Administrator Jacobson presented the proposed
commissioner terms which will begin on February 1, 2024.
Motion by Dunn and a second by Sloan to approve the presented commissioner term
assignments.
Motion carried 5-0.
c. 2024 Meeting Dates
City Administrator Jacobson presented the 2024 schedule of meetings for the Airport
Commission. The Commission agreed should they need to meet more often; a special
meeting could be called.
Motion by Neuharth and a second by Dunn to approve the 2024 meeting dates.
Motion carried 5-0.
5. Information and Correspondence
None.
6. Announcements and Commissioner Comments
None.
7. Adjourn Meeting
8. Adjourn Meeting
Motion by Bobbitt and second by Neuharth to adjourn the meeting.
Motion carried 6-0.
Chair Sloan adjourned the meeting at 6:50pm.
Complaints by Location—By Month
(2022, 2023)
Location = Complainants
2022 Mpls Eagan Edina MH Blmgtn
January 39 33 6 2 2
February 39 29 7 2 3
March 68 45 21 5 3
April 54 37 6 6 3
May 92 55 10 10 6
June 132 63 8 12 8
July 109 67 14 10 11
August 123 83 19 16 16
September 114 41 13 9 9
October 74 45 12 10 6
November 56 34 9 7 7
December 32 23 7 4 2
2023 Mpls Eagan Edina MH Blmgtn
January 31 26 3 2 3
February 39 25 8 4 10
March 51 26 9 4 4
April 74 31 12 4 10
May 85 51 5 14 9
June 105 80 11 16 7
July 154 67 16 8 14
August 142 71 20 13 12
September 125 64 15 11 10
October 100 43 14 6 7
November 47 29 11 6 8
December 63 39 8 5 6
Percent of All Departures by Location
(2022, 2023)
2022
Mpls/
Richfield
30R
Eagan
12R
Edina
30L
MH
12L
Blmgtn
17
January 23% 8% 28% 12% 29%
February 29% 6% 36% 8% 21%
March 27% 7% 39% 9% 19%
April 12% 14% 19% 18% 37%
May 18% 11% 22% 15% 33%
June 22% 9% 25% 12% 31%
July 20% 9% 22% 15% 33%
August 19% 7% 21% 16% 38%
September 18% 28% 24% 22% 7%
October 24% 15% 31% 14% 15%
November 21% 8% 28% 12% 30%
December 17% 12% 28% 15% 28%
2023
Mpls/
Richfield
30R
Eagan
12R
Edina
30L
MH
12L
Blmgtn
17
January 22% 7% 31% 10% 29%
February 19% 6% 25% 12% 36%
March 19% 10% 25% 13% 32%
April 21% 10% 26% 12% 30%
May 10% 10% 11% 21% 48%
June 11% 14% 13% 23% 27%
July 27% 4% 28% 10% 31%
August 19% 9% 23% 15% 33%
September 12% 9% 12% 19% 47%
October 24% 9% 30% 12% 26%
November 24% 4% 24% 9% 38%
December 16% 7% 21% 15% 41%
56
34
9 7 7
47
29
11 6 8
21%
8%
28%
12%
30%
24%
4%
24%
9%
38%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Mpls Eagan Edina MH Blmgtn
November Complaints by Location and Departures by Location
Complaints 2022 Complaints 2023 %Departures 2022 %Departures 2023
November Complaints November Night Departures
2021 2022 2023 2021 2022 2023
Minneapolis (30R) 1,944 893 1,167 96 54 104
Eagan (12R) 2,299 1,837 1,640 107 139 97
Edina (30L) 194 201 243 130 156 191
Mendota Heights (12L) 320 672 80 69 46 33
Bloomington (17) 103 96 68 7 25 71
Total 4,860 3,699 3,198 409 420 496
32
23
7 4 2
63
39
8 5 6
17%12%
28%
15%
28%
16%
7%
21%
15%
41%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Mpls Eagan Edina MH Blmgtn
December Complaints by Location and Departures by Location
Complaints 2022 Complaints 2023 %Departures 2022 %Departures 2023
December Complaints December Night Departures
2021 2022 2023 2021 2022 2023
Minneapolis (30R) 2,056 669 1,331 106 94 69
Eagan (12R) 2,120 1,621 2,723 146 178 182
Edina (30L) 252 186 165 192 235 170
Mendota Heights (12L) 474 323 177 85 57 61
Bloomington (17) 90 19 48 19 17 75
Total 4,992 2,818 4,444 548 581 557
Data used for UCL calculation
January 2009 through December 2013
Mean: 12.4 2020 Covid Pandemic Flight Reductions-Consolidation on 12L & 12R.
St Dev: 3.06
UCL: 18.4
14.5%
14.0%
18.40%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%Percent OperationsMonth
12L Total Operations
Operations Mean UCL
Mean: Rolling 24/mo
Chart Notes: Above normal incidences of downward southerly flow winds during
the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2023.
Data used for UCL calculation
January 2009 through December 2013
Mean: 19.5
St Dev: 7
UCL: 33.5
16.1%
13.7%
Mean: Rolling 24/mo
11.0%
16.0%
33.50%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%Percentage OperationsMonth
12L Night Operations
Operations Mean UCL
Data used for UCL calculation
January 2009 through December 2013
Mean: 7.7 2020 Covid Pandemic Flight Reductions-Consolidation on 12L & 12R.
St Dev: 2.96
UCL: 13.4
7.0%
9.5%
13.40%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%Percent OperationsMonth
12R Total Operations
Operations Mean UCL
Mean: Rolling 24/mo
Data used for UCL calculation
January 2009 through December 2013
Mean: 28.9
St Dev: 8.82
UCL: 46.5
32.7%
27.6%
46.50%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%Percent OperationsMonth
12R Night Operations
Operations Mean UCL
Mean: Rolling 24/mo
Data used for UCL calculation
January 2009 through December 2013
Mean: 2.2
St Dev: 0.98
UCL: 4.2
1.0%
1.2%
4.20%
0%
1%
1%
2%
2%
3%
3%
4%
4%
5%Percent OperationsMonth
Departures North of Corridor
Operations Mean UCL
Mean: Rolling 24/mo
_____________________________________________ Airport Relations Commission
DATE: January 24, 2024
TO: Airport Relations Commission
FROM: Cheryl Jacobson, City Administrator
SUBJECT: FAA RNAV Departure Procedure Development
BACKGROUND
The FAA is in the process of retiring outdated navigational systems across the United
States and replacing it with satellite technology. MSP’s VOR-MON is scheduled for
decommissioning in mid-to-late 2025. Flight procedures currently using VORs will be
updated to use satellite-based technology which includes Area Navigation, or RNAV.
Updating this technology, combined with FAA safety standard changes, requires
modifying the flight procedures used by aircraft departing MSP.
The updated procedures, while enhancing safety and efficiency, may alter the way in which
communities around the airport experience noise. The FAA has scheduled the updated
procedures to go into effect in August, 2025 at MSP.
The FAA has sole authority over the development of the new departure procedures. The
MAC has provided input on the procedure design, including the potential for operational
or environmental impacts to surrounding communities. Additionally, the MAC Noise
Oversight Committee (NOC) established the RNAV Procedure Review Sub-Committee to
develop initial feedback to share local expectations related to aircraft overflights, noise
and meaningful public engagement with the FAA.
At this time, the preliminary procedure information is not sufficient enough to predict
exact flight paths or noise impacts as the FAA has not released detailed information for
the procedures. More detailed modeling and specifics will be made available by the FAA
during the summer 2024 public engagement period. Procedures will not be finalized until
after public engagement and an environmental review is complete.
The FAA has engaged with the MAC and NOC (through the subcommittee) to provide
feedback prior to the official comment period. The NOC approved initial
recommendations to the FAA at a special NOC meeting in November and has drafted
additional recommendations for consideration by the NOC at its January 31 meeting. The
FAA is requiring that the NOC provide feedback by February 1.
ACTION REQUIRED
The City Administrator will provide an update on the work of the NOC subcommittee/
NOC relating to the proposed RNAV procedures and member recommendations.
ATTACHMENTS:
NOC RNAV Recommendations Letter 11-29-2023
FAA Response to NOC Letter 01-05-2024
SP
NOISE
OVERSIGHT
COMMinEE 6040 28th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55450 . 612-467-0741
November 29, 2023
Mr. Erik Amend
Regional Administrator, Great Lakes Region
Federal Aviation Administration
2300 Devon Avenue
Des Plaines, IL 60018
Re: MSP NOC RNAV Recommendations
Dear Mr. Amend:
Thank you for inviting feedback from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) Noise Oversight
Committee (NOC) regarding the proposed Area Navigation (RNAV) departure procedures at MSP.
On November 29, 2023, the MSP NOC took action to approve these recommendations and forward them to the
FAA. The motion passed by unanimous vote.
On behalf of the entire NOC, we respectfully submit these recommendations,
\
Cheryl Jacobson
MSP NOC Community Member
City of Mendota Heights
Paul Buckley
MSP NOC Airport User Member
Delta Air Lines
NOC RNAV Sub-Committee Recommendations
The Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) understands and appreciates that the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) is committed to complete, open, and effective participation in agency action, and
that the agency regards community involvement as an essential element in the development of its actions,
programs, and decisions.
Effective community involvement broadens FAA’s information base and improves decisions. FAA
collaboration with the public and airport stakeholders is critical during the planning and design of
proposed Area Navigation (RNAV) procedures. The first step in meeting the needs of the public is to
understand the public’s needs.
The NOC wishes to be strategic partners in community involvement regarding the proposed RNAV
procedures at MSP, particularly in an effort to assist FAA in better understanding the public’s concerns
and needs. The NOC therefore puts forward the following recommendations.
Provide opportunities for meaningful public engagement
•Conduct engagement that seeks community input and does not simply inform the public. The FAA
Community Involvement Manual emphasizes the importance of establishing ongoing, two-way
communications that gives the public an opportunity to understand the proposed project and to
ask questions and raise concerns before decisions are made. Therefore, the FAA should:
o Allow sufficient time for public input to shape the outcome of the project.
o Thoughtfully consider all input received from the NOC and the public and incorporate into
procedure design as feasible (i.e., where safety and efficiency would not be negatively
impacted).
o Clarify why any input received is not feasible to be incorporated into procedure design by
explaining how it would negatively impact safety and efficiency.
Provide additional opportunities to engage with the public
•Community involvement should start in the design phase. The FAA has stated, and the NOC
agrees, that community concerns should be identified as early as practicable and considered in
the planning process. FAA’s Community Involvement Performance Based Navigation Desk Guide
recommends sharing preliminary designs with the community to solicit feedback to inform
decision making and project refinements. The FAA’s Community Involvement Manual
acknowledges that meeting with specialized groups (such as NOC or MAC) may not entirely
capture views of the community. FAA should provide the following additional opportunities to
engage the public regarding procedure design:
6040 28th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55450 • 612-467-0741
o Conduct broader public engagement efforts by presenting the proposed procedures at a
workshop/meeting with NOC open to the public on or before January 3, 2024. This will
afford the FAA the opportunity to provide necessary context about the design as leaders
of the project. Additionally, it will allow the FAA to understand if the proposed procedures
would be highly controversial on environmental grounds prior to making a determination
of the appropriate level of environmental review. This would not take the place of the
public workshops the FAA plans to conduct in the Summer 2024.
• A combination of techniques is usually needed to reach all the relevant communities. Therefore,
the FAA should conduct one virtual and two in-person public workshops. A combination of virtual
and in-person workshop options offers the most inclusivity by being accessible both to those who
cannot travel to an in-person meeting and to those less familiar with technology or who lack
reliable internet access.
Increase transparency and communicate effectively
• Recognize and develop a communication approach that considers community sensitivity to RNAV
design and information gaps based on previous projects. This communication approach should
include:
o Explanation of the project benefits and efforts made to consider noise and incorporate
community concerns into the proposed design.
o Presentation of the proposed procedures in a manner that is accessible to non-technical
audiences while providing sufficient detail and technical information to communicate
procedure design and how aircraft will operate.
o Use of creative tools to increase community understanding (i.e. online illustrative and
interactive tools).
o Accessible information to communities across the Minneapolis/St. Paul Twin Cities area
with translation services available as needed (Spanish, Hmong, Somali, and ASL
interpretation).
• During the public workshops, communicate the impact of the procedures to residents, anticipated
changes in noise exposure and what it means for them and their experience of aircraft over their
homes today.
• Advertise the public workshops to communities across the Minneapolis/St. Paul Twin Cities area
and have translation services available as needed (Spanish, Hmong, Somali, and ASL
interpretation).
• Increase public awareness and clarify opportunities for public participation by:
o Sharing details with the NOC about the timelines, technical design steps, and engagement
required to implement the procedures to decommission the MSP VOR on schedule.
o Providing NOC members with information that can be shared with their stakeholders.
Identify additional opportunities for proposed procedures to replicate existing flight paths
• The proposed West SID ultimately separates into three routes; however, areas near the airport
when aircraft are at their lowest altitude, are more concentrated and located in areas that receive
arrival overflights to Runways 12L and 12R. Include more dispersion of these straight-out
departures on Runways 30L and 30R in consideration of the areas currently impacted by arriving
aircraft.
• The aircraft modeled on the 360-degree COULT, and 340-degree North and Northeast SIDs
departing Runways 30L and 30R indicates aircraft will turn tighter and earlier, changing the area
where aircraft are turning southeast-bound (COULT SID) and northeast-bound (North and
Northeast SIDs). If this is an accurate representation of day-to-day departure operations to the
north, it will put aircraft operations over areas that currently do not receive these types of
overflights. Operations on these departures should fly further on the 360- and 340-degree
headings prior to making their next right turn, similar to how they fly these departure procedures
today with the goal of spreading out tracks and preventing concentration. This may also require
adjustments to arrival routes to accommodate this request.
• The aircraft modeled on the West and KBREW SIDs, departing Runways 12L and 12R indicates a
change in the area where aircraft are turning west-bound (West SID) and north-bound (KBREW
SID). If this is an accurate representation of day-to-day departure operations to the south, it will
put aircraft operations over areas that currently do not receive these types of overflights.
Operations on these departures should fly further to the north prior to making their next left turn,
similar to how they fly these departure procedures today with the goal of spreading out tracks
and preventing concentration. This may require adjustments to arrival routes to accommodate
this request.
Great Lakes Regional Office
2300 East Devon Avenue
Des Plaines, IL 60018-4696
January 5, 2024
Cheryl Jacobson
MSP NOC Community Member
City of Mendota Heights
Paul Buckley
MSP NOC Airport User Member
Delta Air Lines
Dear Ms. Jacobson and Mr. Buckley,
Thank you for your November 29, 2023 letter sent on behalf of the Minneapolis – St. Paul
Airport (MSP) Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) containing initial community outreach
and procedure recommendations for the area navigation (RNAV) departure procedures
being developed at MSP. The FAA is committed to community engagement and maintaining
a dialogue as this project progresses. We also appreciate the NOC’s willingness to work
together to represent their member communities and the Twin Cities area in general, and to
provide preliminary feedback on our draft procedures. These draft procedures were
previously shared with the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) on October 10 and
26, 2023 and the NOC Subcommittee on October 30, 2023.
The FAA developed the draft procedures for MSP based on three official design meetings
and multiple discussions with the MAC, airlines, local and regional air traffic control, and
other aviation stakeholders. In addition to the three procedure recommendations provided
by the NOC in their November 29, 2023, letter we welcome any additional feedback they
would like to provide on the draft procedures by the agreed to February 1, 2024, deadline.
The FAA’s Air Traffic team plans to review the three recommendations already submitted
by the NOC in conjunction with other subsequent feedback submitted by February 1, 2024,
in totality, during a February 6, 2024, workgroup meeting. During this meeting, project
stakeholders will assess the NOC’s recommendations for feasibility, safety, and efficiency in
consideration for potential modification of draft procedure designs. Any suggestions that are
feasible and do not negatively impact safety or efficiency, will be assessed for consideration
in the final procedures. Suggestions received from the NOC, whether they are feasible or
not, will be summarized and posted on our MSP community involvement website which will
also feature updates, resources and other related documents throughout the full life cycle of
the project. However, it should be noted that the final proposed procedures will not be
reviewed for noise impacts and other environmental factors until we begin our review under
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which will commence later in 2024.
The FAA remains committed to multi-faceted engagement throughout the procedure
development process including evaluating recommendations provided by the NOC. While
we have started our engagement with the MAC and the NOC on the initial draft procedures,
2
we also plan to conduct public outreach sessions in 2024 as well as any formal engagement
required as part of the environmental review under NEPA. The dates for these sessions have
not yet been determined, but the FAA will consult with both the MAC and the NOC before
scheduling is finalized.
These sessions will include materials showing the new procedures, feature a question-and-
answer session with air traffic controllers, and provide explanations of the changes being
proposed. These sessions will be held live and will be hosted on a virtual platform. They
will also be recorded which will provide a greater reach for engagement to community
members not available to participate during the live session. Those viewing the recording(s)
will be able to submit comments. We will plan to have live closed captioning during the
event and will assess if additional language tracks for the recordings are needed to support
limited English proficiency communities in the vicinity of MSP.
Since the FAA subject matter experts who will support these sessions are located throughout
the country, holding virtual sessions is both more cost-effective, ensuring prudent use of
taxpayer funds while providing expanded access to subject-matter experts. Virtual sessions
will also provide for greater reach to members of communities and more transparency on
project considerations. The FAA will ensure the dialogue with the general public is two-way
and that suggestions received during these sessions are evaluated for feasibility and safety
implications. Comments will be accepted via US Postal Service or to our online comments
mailbox during and after the workshops, and all comments will be addressed in the final
NEPA documentation for the project.
To meet the necessary air traffic charting deadlines, the FAA is working towards a goal of
publishing the new procedures by August 2025. However, as part of our dialogue with the
MAC who has expressed the goals of the NOC, we have discussed a common goal of
ensuring existing dispersed pathways above MSP’s surrounding communities remain
consistent with what they are today - provided they meet FAA safety criteria and operational
requirements.
We look forward to continuing our dialogue with the MAC and NOC and reviewing initial
feedback for the draft procedures received by February 1, 2024. Beyond February, the
MAC and the NOC will play a vital role with the FAA to develop and discuss timing of next
steps as well as public engagement sessions.
Sincerely,
Erik Amend, PMP
Regional Administrator
Great Lakes Region
Cc:
Bryan Ryks, MAC
Roy Fuhrmann, MAC
Naomi Pesky, MAC
3
Evan Wilson, MAC
Dana Nelson, MAC
Mitch Kilian, MAC
Kyle Fisher, MAC
Michele Ross, MAC