Loading...
07.16.2025 ARC Meeting PacketCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING AGENDA July 16, 2025 at 6:00 PM Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights 1.Call to Order 2.Consent Agenda a.Approve Minutes from the May 21, 2025 Meeting b.Acknowledge Airport Operational Statistics Reports 1. Complaint Information 2. Runway Use Information 3.Public Comments 4.Business a.ARC Update to the City Council 5.Information and Correspondence a.FAA Staffing Articles 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. Page 1 of 10 CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION MINUTES May 21, 2025 The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Airport Relations Commission was held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 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: Norling, Sloan, Dunn, Neuharth. Absent: Sharma, Hamiel, Bobbitt Staff present: City Administrator Jacobson and Administrative Coordinator Desmond. 2. CONSENT AGENDA a. Approve Minutes from the September 18, 2024 Meeting b. Approve Minutes from the November 20, 2024 Meeting c. Acknowledge Airport Operational Statistics Reports 1. Complaint Information 2. Runway Use Information Commissioner Sloan noted that the minutes from the November 20, 2024 meeting did not state who attended the meeting. City Administrator Jacobson explained that the November meeting was a joint meeting with the city of Eagan ARC, and attendance was not taken. Commissioner Dunn asked to have his question about air traffic control staffing on the next agenda. Commissioner Neuharth commented about runway use for departures north of the corridor, noting the increase in November, December, 2024, and January 2025, and asked that an inquiry be made with MAC for an explanation of the increase and if the usage could be brought closer to the mean level. City Administrator Jacobson said she will forward the question to MAC staff. Chair Norling noted that the April complaints for Mendota Heights have gone up a lot over the last few years. Chair Norling approved the consent agenda. 3. PUBLIC COMMENTS Rob Meyer, 1399 Clement St, had questions about going from a commission to a committee. Chair Norling stated that the group would discuss those questions later in the meeting since it is on the agenda. Page 2 of 10 2.a. Rose Agnew, 671 Woodridge Dr, talked about an air traffic control article published in the Washington Post that she would like to share. City Administrator Jacobson asked Rose to send it to her. 4. BUSINESS a. ARC Update to the City Council Chair Norling initiated a discussion on providing an update to the City Council and asked Commissioners Sloan and Dunn to contribute background information on the history and role of the ARC Commission. Chair Norling read the commission’s powers and duties as outlined in the city code, stating her belief that this language defines the purpose of the ARC Commission. Commissioner Dunn noted that without the commission’s oversight, issues such as increased runway usage and other operational concerns at MSP would likely go unaddressed. He emphasized that the ARC Commission plays a critical role in monitoring activity and advocating for the community. Chair Norling requested Commissioner Neuharth’s assistance in drafting a summary of the ARC’s current initiatives and activities. City Administrator Jacobson asked when the commission intended to present the update to the City Council. Chair Norling proposed reviewing the draft content at the next ARC meeting, with the goal of presenting to the City Council in August. Commissioner Dunn recalled that similar presentations to the Council were made annually in the past. Chair Norling confirmed that the last formal update occurred in 2015. City Administrator Jacobson encouraged the commission to consider its future direction, including how institutional knowledge can be passed along to new members. Chair Norling then recognized Rose Agnew, who underscored the value of involving realtors in community education efforts related to airport impacts. City Administrator Jacobson suggested the commission consider evolving into more of an educational body, focused on outreach and public awareness. b. Commission Structure Discussion City Administrator Jacobson began the discussion by clarifying the distinction between a commission and a committee, noting the differences in formality, structure, and scope of authority. Page 3 of 10 Commissioner Sloan raised the importance of having a resource for residents to voice concerns and observations, questioning where those comments would go if the Commission were no longer in place. He emphasized the need for a body that can monitor and share knowledge on aviation-related impacts. Commissioner Dunn expressed concern that consistent monitoring might be lost under a committee structure, stressing that continuity is critical to the commission’s role. City Administrator Jacobson stated that city staff would continue to conduct monitoring and provide data, including making the charts every two months, as is currently being done. Commissioner Sloan commented that as long as there remains an opportunity for residents to meet and discuss issues—whether through a commission or a committee—the structure may be less important than maintaining open dialogue. City Administrator Jacobson discussed how changes could be made and what the structure of a committee could be. She also said that the commission may need to evolve to meet changing needs and explained that a more flexible model could allow broader participation. Chair Norling commented that with a set meeting schedule, those interested will stay on top of what they need to do, but if there aren’t any meetings, then people may get lax and not keep up if they don’t need to. Chair Norling then recognized Rose Agnew, who raised a question about how a transition to a committee format might affect public participation and interaction. City Administrator Jacobson explained that a committee structure could potentially allow for a more inclusive format, enabling additional stakeholders and residents to participate beyond commission members. Commissioner Neuharth asked what the committee’s structure would look like. City Administrator Jacobson suggested the possibility of scheduling two formal meetings per year, with additional meetings added as needed. Commissioner Neuharth expressed concerns about the timing of the change to a committee with RNAV going into place, and noted that this would be a big change in Mendota Heights. Commissioner Dunn said that he didn’t think that RNAV going into place would be that big of a deal for Mendota Heights. City Administrator Jacobson explained that the NOC workplan incudes assessing and monitoring any potential changes once RNAV is implemented. She also mentioned that the implementation timeline has slipped, delaying implementation. 5. INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE City Administrator Jacobson said that she will send out the news article discussed. Page 4 of 10 City Administrator Jacobson said that phase one construction was complete and the runway reopened today, two days early, and phase two will be in August City Administrator Jacobson said that the next NOC Listening Session will be in Highland in July. 6. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMISSIONER COMMENTS 7. ADJOURN Motion by Neuharth and second by Sloan to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 4-0. Chair Norling adjourned the meeting at 7:21pm. Page 5 of 10 4.a Airport Relations Commission MEETING DATE: July 16, 2025 TO: Airport Relations Commission FROM: Cheryl Jacobson, City Administrator SUBJECT: ARC Update to the City Council BACKGROUND: The mayor and city council requested that the ARC provide an update to the city council. The presentation should include the following talking points: 1. A brief history of the ARC 2. Purpose of the ARC 3. Current Activities 4. Future of the ARC At the May ARC meeting, tasks were assigned to commission members: •Sloan and Dunn: background information on the history and role of the Commission •Neuharth: develop points on the current activities of the Commission The commission should continue its work to develop the requested elements of its city council update presentation. ATTACHMENTS: None 3DJH••RI• From: William Dunn <dunn7074@comcast.net> Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2025 8:46 PM To: Cheryl Jacobson <CJacobson@mendotaheightsmn.gov> Subject: ARC May 21st Agenda Packet Cheryl, Below is an excerpt from the May 18 New York Times: The shortage affecting Newark’s airspace is acute. There are only 22 certified controllers employed at one facility that guides planes in and out of Newark, which is significantly short of the staffing target of 38, according to the F.A.A. Could we get comparable information for MSP? Thanks, Bill  3DJH  RI  5.a.1 From:Anderson, Ryan To:Cheryl Jacobson Cc:Ross, Michele; Metcalfe, Carey Subject:RE: ARC May 21st Agenda Packet Date:Tuesday, June 10, 2025 10:16:13 AM Hi Cheryl, There was a recent article in USA Today that I believe answers Bill’s question. The article, linked below, provides data from the Collaborative Resource Workgroup (CRWG), a joint initiative between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). Established in 2012, the CRWG aims to develop data-driven staffing models to ensure optimal distribution of controllers across air traffic control facilities. The article contains a searchable database for each FAA Air Traffic facility that includes number of fully trained staff, number of trainee staff, and the CRWG staffing target. The FAA Air Traffic facilities for Minneapolis are as follows: ID FACILITY Fully Trained Staff Trainee Staff CRWG staffing target MSP Minneapolis Tower 30 4 37 M98 Minneapolis TRACON 47 13 54 ZMP Minneapolis ARTCC 215 69 248 https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2025/05/29/faa-short-staffing-data-flight- delays/83881631007/ Let me know if you have any additional questions. Regards, Ryan RYAN C. ANDERSON Manager, Community Relations O: 612-725-5974 Page 8 of 10 From:Rose Agnew To:Cheryl Jacobson Cc:Rose Agnew Subject:Interesting Airport Info Date:Wednesday, June 4, 2025 12:21:23 PM Cheryl – FYI – RST Info maybe for Airport Commission Background FAA Data Reveals Understaffing Crisis at Rochester Airport Rochester International Airport faces a severe shortage of air traffic controllers, with only 43.4% of the required certified controllers. FAA aims to address the staffing crisis. By Jeff Kiger Source Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn. (TNS) June 3, 2025 3 min read Jun. 2—ROCHESTER — As U.S. airports struggle with a shortage of air traffic controllers, the Rochester International Airport is ranked as one of the most-understaffed in the country, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA air traffic control management and the air traffic controllers' union set Collaborative Resource Workgroup goals for the optimum number of certified controllers for each of the 290 towers. Rochester's current target number is 23 certified controllers, the data shows. According to the latest numbers from the FAA, Rochester tower has 10 certified professional controllers, or 43.4% of the ideal goal. It also has two trainee controllers, who do not count toward the overall goal. The Rochester International Airport's number of certified controllers is down from September 2023, when it had 11 controllers. However, it had no controllers-in-training at that time. The FAA is in charge of staffing for the control towers, not local airports. The FAA responded to questions about the Rochester tower on Monday and stated that safety is still the top priority. "If daily or per-shift staffing levels are low, the FAA ensures safety by implementing traffic management initiatives, such as slowing the flow of aircraft into an airport," wrote FAA Public Affairs Specialist Chris Mullooly. "Growing the nation's air traffic controller workforce is a top priority for the FAA. Their work is critical to meeting our safety mission. During the hiring surge that closed on March 17, we received more than 10,000 applications." Airports in Waterloo, Iowa, and Morristown, New Jersey, were second and third on the controller list with 56.5% and 57.9% of the target number of controllers, respectively. There has been a US shortage of air traffic controllers for decades, with a major setback in 1981, when President Ronald Reagan fired more than 11,000 striking air traffic controllers and banned them from being rehired. The shortage has become a high-profile issue recently as there have been some near misses between aircraft in 2025. US Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy has stated that the FAA is short about 3,000 air traffic controllers. As an example of the shortage, the Newark, NJ Liberty International Airport was plagued by cancellations and delays this spring because of a Page 9 of 10 5a2 shortage of air traffic controllers. The Philadelphia tower, which handled the Newark traffic, had 63 certified controllers, which is 55% of its goal of 114. Amid the national shortage, Rochester's airport is seeing its passenger numbers increase. A total of 17,484 passengers used the airport in April 2024. That number grew to 19,104 passengers for April 2025. In 2024, RST served 200,072 passengers, up from 189,038 in 2023. However, the airport has not yet returned to its pre-COVID numbers of a high of 371,615 passengers in 2019 and 370,201 passengers in 2019. © 2025 the Post-Bulletin. Visit www.postbulletin.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Page 10 of 10