Alva Review-Courier -

The Alva Airport Commission ran into an open meeting law problem when they met Monday night. They realized an agenda item was for discussion only, but it was time sensitive and needed action. After a call to consult with City Attorney Drew Cunningham, commission members agreed no action could be taken. A special meeting was scheduled for Thursday noon so they could vote.

Then there was some confusion about another agenda item. Engineer Toby Baker said he’d be available by phone to answer questions, but he didn’t answer two phone calls. That item was tabled until the Thursday meeting so they could get clarification.

Jet-A Above Ground Storage

An Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission (OAC) Fuel System Grant Program application was the item that had no provision for voting. The deadline for the application was June 30. With encouragement from city officials, Baker went ahead and submitted the application, but the selection committee meets July 18. A vote approving the application was needed to assure the OAC that the airport commission was on board and wanted to complete the work.

If granted, the OAC would award $300,000 toward the airport’s installation of a 12,000 gallon above ground Jet-A fuel storage tank with a 24 hour distribution system. Estimated cost is $608,385.The city (actually the airport) is responsible for at least 50 percent of the cost or anything above the $300,000 depending on the final cost. During his report on finances, Mayor Kelly Parker said the airport is in good shape for any projects they want to undertake. In fact, he said the airport has enough cash to operate for almost two years without any other income. Parker said the city had relatively short notice about the grant opportunity.

“The thing is we’ve talked about a building, we’ve talked about several other improvements on the airport, but if we don’t have an operational AWOS, we don’t have operational runway lights, and we can’t service airplanes when they’re here, there’s no need to have a building in my opinion,” said Paul Kinzie. For a couple of years the airport manager has said we don’t have enough fuel capacity, he added. Just fueling one jet can substantially diminish the supply. “He’s not sure he can get a fuel truck here quickly enough,” Kinzie said.

Currently the Alva Regional Airport has a 10,000 gallon Jet-A tank with 1,000 gallons not usable. An above ground tank requires fewer inspections, Kinzie said. The airport has had discussions with Air Med about basing an aircraft in Alva, and one of their requirements is 24-hour fuel access. Kinzie said it would cost $25,000 to upgrade the current system for 24-hour access.

Dale Logsdon pointed out the current Jet-A tank is old and could start leaking anytime, another reason for the new storage.

Kinzie made a motion to approve the application for the grant with comments from City Business Manager Steve Ford and the mayor. There was more discussion about where the new storage would be located.

Meanwhile Logsdon, who chairs the commission, was reading over the paperwork. He pointed out the agenda item did not call for any action. Parker called Cunningham for a legal opinion and was told there could be questions if the commission voted. After a little more discussion, the decision was made to call a special meeting for Thursday, allowing the required 48 hours of posting the notice of the meeting.

In the Thursday noon meeting, the same members of the airport commission met and approved a Parker motion, seconded by Kinzie, to approve the submission of the grant application.

Grants for Runway Lights, PAPIs Rehabilitation

Next up Monday was an amendment to a previous recommendation by the commission to the city council to submit an FAA grant application for $382,824 with a required city match of $32,536 to partially fund the rehabilitation of runway lights and PAPIs, recommending that the council accept the grant and authorize the city business manager or mayor to execute it upon receipt from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). This grant would utilize NPE (Non-Primary Entitlement) funds.

There was confusion because the grant funds from this and the next agenda item using other grant funds didn’t seem to add up to action taken earlier. When calls to Baker, the engineer, weren’t answered, Terry Cline made a motion to table the agenda item so it could be addressed during the special meeting Thursday. Kinzie seconded, and the motion carried.

In the special meeting on Thursday, that grant application was approved with a unanimous vote on a motion by Kinzie, seconded by Cline.

The next agenda item Monday was a recommendation to submit a grant application to the FAA for the same project for $140,940 with a required city match of $15,660 and using AIG (Airport Infrastructure Grant) funds. As commission members discussed tabling this item also, Baker called. He said he was on the phone and couldn’t answer earlier.

Baker explained that the FAA didn’t like the way the project grant application was worded. They wanted to split it in a different way.

The airport commission intended to use up all the available NPE funds in the first grant and use AIG funds for the remainder. The FAA wanted a different approach, removing the engineering fees related to a future taxiway project. In the FAA approach, the NPE funds would not be exhausted and more would come from the AIG funds. Baker said it all added up to the same amount, expect for the engineer’s fees.

After several rounds of explanations, all the commission members understood this new approach. The NPE funds will pay for construction of the PAPIs and any preconstruction fees. The AIG grant will pay the rest. The city will have the same total match as before.

Kinzie made a motion, seconded by Cline, to approve this agenda item and it passed by unanimous vote.

Next up was an amendment to the agreement between Parkhill and the city. Baker said the FAA didn’t want the engineering for the future taxiway project included in this project. Removing the taxiway engineering from the airport’s agreement with the engineer for this project was also approved.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation Lease

Ford explained he put the ODOT (Oklahoma Department of Transportation) lease on the Monday agenda for discussion because he wanted some direction in determining a fair lease payment. The original lease at one dollar a year expired in 2012.

Kinzie said this is a non-aviation lease so it doesn’t compare to hangar leases or other aviation leases. Parker suggested Ford call the district ODOT office in Buffalo to get a copy of their lease. Ford said that gave him a place to start looking.

Airport Manager Report

Airport Manager Derrick Courson gave a brief report. He said June was not a great month for fuel sales due to all the rain, the lack of an AWOS and no runway lights. A couple of aircraft that would have used Jet-A fuel didn’t land due to the absence of runway lights. Fuel and oil sales for June totaled $14,746.89, about half of the usual revenue.

Courson said he had some magnetic signs made for the sanitation dumpsters listing what can and can’t be put in the containers.

The contractors for the AWOS (automated weather observation system) are to be at the airport on July 17 or 18 to work on the system.

Courson said he will be taking over the billing and payments for fuel sales and hangars beginning Aug. 1. He said it just makes more sense to handle that in the airport office instead of at City Hall downtown.

He provided an update quote from FM Live for updating the fuel credit card system. The commission approved the upgrade some time ago, but the equipment has not been available. Courson said the price went up about $500. However, FM Live might not be the way to go. They haven’t reached a deal with the Alva airport’s supplied, Phillips 66. Until they have worked out an agreement, the new equipment won’t work for the Alva airport. He said there are other options.

A video of the meeting may be viewed by clicking on the Video tab at http://www.AlvaReviewCourier.com