City of Santa Fe Airport Advisory Board met Feb. 8.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
1. CALL TO ORDER
Meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
Members Present:
Member Len Rand
Member Rosemary Thompson
Member Gabriel Martinez
Member Troy Padilla
Chair Signe Lindell
Members Excused:
Member Randal Limbacher
Member Jyl DeHaven
Others Attending:
None
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
MOTION: Member Thompson moved, seconded by Member Rand, to approve the agenda as presented.
VOTE: The motion was approved on the following Roll Call vote:
For: Rivera, Member Rand, Member Thompson, Member Martinez, Member Padilla, Chair Lindell
Against: None
Abstain: None
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
a. Minutes from January 11th 2024
MOTION: Member Thompson moved, seconded by Member Padilla, to approve the minutes from January 11th 2024 as presented.
VOTE: The motion was approved on the following Roll Call vote:
For: Rivera, Member Rand, Member Thompson, Member Martinez, Member Padilla, Chair Lindell
Against: None
Abstain: None
5. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
a. Public comment open about new airport rates and fees.
b. Public comment open about new Airport rules and regulations.
• Mr. Harris explained that the city charter gives the authority to the airport manager to create rules and regulations. When Mr. Harris got here, he noticed there weren’t any rules and regulations only for security. This draft presented was an attempt to get some type of guidance in place at this airport.
• Mr. Schapansky’s comment was regarding the rules and regulations, it has typographical and substantive issues. It would effectively prohibit most operations at the airport as we normally see them such as not allowing transient charter aircraft to come here anymore, not allowing out of state cars to park in our parking lot and we wouldn’t be able to service aircraft with oxygen anymore. The document lacks specifications and when creating rules that we have to operate under we have to be specific. Involving stakeholders with specialized input would be a great source of information to help create the new rules and regulations.
• Steve Ross of the Santa Fe Hanger association had made a comment regarding slowing down this process to further allow more input from the public and stakeholders.
• Member Troy Padilla mentioned that he has received a lot of calls today from stakeholders (Hertz, Avis, United Airlines, American Airlines) regarding rates and fees etc. The stakeholders and the board haven’t had a chance to review it and vet it. Padilla has received multiple calls suggesting we slow down the process for this document. For the stakeholders at this Airport, there is a lot of financial information that has to be reviewed in regard to all of the new rates and fees. They need time to vet these changes and see what the future is for them at this airport. Troy also shared concerns about people not receiving or being able to comment on this new document because not everyone can view this online. With this concern we will deliver the draft to the best of our ability to those who haven’t seen it.
• Member Len Rand recommended the possibility of creating a Google Doc made public for comments to be left on the rules and regulations rather than people sending individual comments.
• Member Gabriel Martinez and the board members would like to see the comparison between the newly proposed fees and our old fees.
• Member Len Rand expressed shared concern about the hangers’ condition and what is the plan for the city to maintain the hangers. For the specific hangers being discussed the hangers will not be rented out anymore besides to jet center for overflow until they are repaired.
• With any new revenue that is coming in it will go right back into the airport. The FAA is funding the north ramp but the south ramp is in bad shape as well so part of that money will go into that, the FAA doesn’t pay for runway 1028 but everyone wants it open so we have to put money into that, the FAA will only partially pay for 1533 so we will put money into that. We want to start with our pavement surfaces because that is critical to the operation of the airport.
• The public comment will be open until March 7th and after that staff will then review comments and then rework the new rules and regulations for the following AAB meeting.
c. Public comment will be limited to three minutes per speaker.
6. OLD BUSINESS
a. Project updates. (James Harris, Airport Manager, jcharris@santafenm.gov, 505-955-6740)
• Terminal project is still going, our finish date is looking at early March and the parking lot late June, early July. We have built in parking lot one and we are working on a grant to fund that project.
• We have new chairs, and the carpet is down in the terminal. We have had various artists come down with the arts and culture to plan some projects. We are going to have art display that will rotate, and we will get a portion of any sales from art sold on the airport floor.
• The new access controls are being put in. We have our new employee, Jimmy Gunn, who is our new Airport Security Manager.
• Member Troy Padilla brought up a concern for the drainage put in and how the slopes are off. The amount of water that piles up is already excessive and with additional feeding it will create flooding. James Harris will look into getting a flow study done.
7. DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. The National Museum of the Air Force loan renewal for F-111 (2024- 2029)
• We have received an email that our loan for the F1-11 is up for renewal. When we reviewed the contract the F1-11 hasn’t been maintained and it is going to be expensive to get it back into compliance. Mr. Harris will put together the cost of what it would be to maintain it. We will re discuss our options of sending it back, keeping it or looking into any other alternatives such as replacing it or even if any local parks or areas that would further benefit from displaying it other than it just sitting here.
8. MATTERS FROM STAFF
9. MATTERS FROM THE COMMITTEE
• Member Rosemary Thompson expressed interest in an update on her priorities such as the overflow parking, stop signs, paint for arrows, and the lighting at night. James Harris responded that everything is being engineered right now and we told them all of what we need. The signs have been ordered and the engineers will do these things because this is all included in the scope of work.
10. MATTERS FROM THE CHAIR
• Last Monday James Harris had a meeting with the Mayor and the Governor regarding the Airport, and she asked what would help the customer experience here and the first thing mentioned is Jaguar Dr entrance. Harris also asked for 4 million dollars for phases 2&3 terminal expansion.
11. NEXT MEETING: March 14 2024
12. ADJOURN
Meeting was adjourned at 4:54 p.m.
