PROVINCETOWN AIRPORT COMMISSION

              17 May 2000

The following minutes are available on-line as a service and are not the official record due to changes in formatting for the Internet. The minutes may have attachments that are not included here in this format. The official, complete paper copy can be viewed during regular office hours, Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Office of the Town Clerk, 260 Commercial St. Provincetown, MA 02657.

 

The Provincetown Airport Commission met at the Provincetown Municipal Airport Conference Room on 17 May 2000 for its stated monthly meeting. Those in attendance were Leonard Alberts, M.D., Chairman, Richard Silva, (arrived at 6:05 P.M.), Vice Chairman, Gwen Bloomingdale Commissioner, Butch Lisenby, Airport Manager, Mark Latour, Assistant Town Manager, Kyle Takakjian, Blue Knight Aviation, Ron Singer (arrived at 6:20 P.M.), and loan M. Drysdale, recording secretary. Steve Page, Secretary/Treasurer was absent with permission.

 

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Dr. Alberts at 6:08 P.M.

 

1. EIS/EA UPDATE

 

This report is in its final stages. A member of the Dept. of the Interior has complained about the EA portion ‑ he may have been referring to an earlier draft and this will be looked into. MAC is hoping for rapid finalization.

 

2. SRE/ARFF GARAGE UPDATE

 

1. The contractor is disputing the asphalt issue ‑ he says he did it properly ‑ we say he did not. He requested arbitration to the company instead of the commission citing Paris and Campbell as issuer of contract, not Airport Commission.

 

2. Have payment pending to MHD which exceeds contract. Legalities cause problems with payment. Town Accountant will not issue check till grants settled. Grants can't be settled until all cost overruns and changes have been accounted for. Will work with Town Accountant to rectify.

 

3. There is a 23 May 2000 meeting with the Board of Selectmen regarding end of project adjustments for the garage and pick up truck ‑ nothing from FAA/MAC in writing till end of projects. Town Accountant says his job is to see the money is there before the check is issued but FAA/MAC cannot issue money till all excesses and change orders have been submitted and approved which they do not do until the end of the project. Bloomingdale and Silva will try to attend this meeting ‑Alberts can be there after 8,30 P.M. if necessary.

 

3. TERMINAL HVAC UPDATE

 

No news ‑ still in holding pattern. The Airport Commission could take the money being held and correct the problem themselves, but if the repair does not work, the commission will be stuck from then on. But no one at this time is prepared to say anything specific about the repair and what will ultimately correct it.

 

4. UPCOMING RUNWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

 

The runway, approach, 'lights, etc. will be done in one entire two phase project. The first is the design, the second is the actual work. FAA wants to have the design phase completed prior to 1 June 2000. FAA will oversee all navigation aids. There is a problem with this in that the Commonwealth requires an engineer's stamp of approval while the FAA does not provide one ‑ there is not current resolution to this issue. When the project is completed, the FAA will control and have approval of all navigation aids. The specs for the remainder of the project comes under the Airport Commission.

 

The design phase will take place beginning the summer of 2000 with bidding in January or February of 2001 and construction in April of 2001. Cape Air is asking to be allowed to use the taxi way as a runway for the 30 to 45 days in April and May when the runway is closed. The taxi way would have to be completed first, either in the fall of 2000 or the first part of April 2001 prior to the runway work.

 

Estimates on design only and construction show our cost is $70,000 and is a 20 year life for both runway and navigational aids. The Airport Commission needs to go before the Town for our portion.

 

5. PAYMENT VOUCHERS

 

A. Trask Petroleum Equipment Company                               $4,642.14

This is for an emergency shutoff of the fuel farm and the pumping system for the diesel generator.

 

MOTION:    TO PAY TRASK PETROLEUM EQUIPMENT COMPANY $4,642.14

               FOR THE SERVICES PROVIDED.

MOVED:     RICHARD SILVA

SECOND:    GWEN BLOOMINGDALE

VOTE:        3 YES        0 NO          0 ABSTAIN

 

6. OTHER BUSINESS

 

A. Selectmen's Meeting of 23 May 2000 ‑ see Agenda Item 2 ‑ section 3.

 

B. Kyle Takakjian, president of Blue Knight Aviation presented his plan to provide on demand air charters out of the airport. He was before the board to present the current status. All documentation has been presented to the FAA and he is waiting for corrections. Once all is accepted a schedule for ground and flight training will begin. Their target date is 1 July 2000. There will be one full time and one part time pilot available.

 

C.     Mark Latour, the new Assistant Town Manager, was present at the meeting to introduce himself to the commissioners.

 

D. Ron Singer, owner/operator of an ultralight, came before the commission to ask permission to fly in and out of the airport. Currently there is a 1 May through 30 September ban on all ultralights. Singer said he discussed this with Dan Wolf, CEO of Cape Air, and said that Wolf has no problem with Singer as he is a licensed pilot and the ultralight is equipped with strobe lights and radio communication. Lisenby stated he received word from Wolf to this effect and that hangar space could be provided.

 

Discussion centered around the following question and issues:

 

If by allowing Singer to fly, would it open the airport to all ultralight?

 

Bloomingdale said that she felt there was too much congestion with multi­sectional Cape Air flights and 70 to 80 estimated private pilots in and out the airport daily in the summer. The Commission is ultimately responsible for any accidents that occur. Ultralights can be flown without any approval under 700 feet and without any strobes or radio. Bloomingdale will do research into conditions on these types of planes. The Issue is the commission cannot make exception for only one ultralight.

 

Silva stated he has a difficult time with ultralights; during the season. He wants to keep the current ban as is which he considers reasonable. He also feels that if we allow one ultralight we will have to allow all and ultralight pilots will not adhere to the ban.

 

Bloomingdale said she is more concerned with the private pilots than the Cape Air pilots or Singer.

 

Singer said the official wording of the ban is "out of Provincetown". The explanation is that while one can fly in, upon flying out the pilot is breaking the ban. The precedent is set by the FAA as Provincetown is provided funding by the FAA and as such cannot be discriminatory. Singer stated he was asking for permission.

 

Bloomingdale stated that certain airports are allowed to make reasonable rules which are not discriminatory.

 

Singer stated he wants to fly from here ‑ wants to be an airport friend ‑ not an antagonist ‑ but will work towards attaining what he considers his rights.

 

Lisenby stated that because of the ban he cannot provide hangar space.

 

The Commission as a whole agreed it needs pre and post season histories prior to making any future judgment.

 

E. Appointment of Airport Commissioner

 

Joan M. Drysdale has applied to be appointed as a commissioner. Word from Town Hall was that as more than three months had elapsed since the vacancy occurred, the commission itself could appoint as necessary.

 

MOTION:                   TO APPOINT JOAN M. DRYSDALE AS A COMMISSIONER

MOVED:                    G. BLOOMINGDALE

SECOND:                  R. SILVA

VOTE:                      3 YES        0 NO                         0 ABSTAIN

 

Drysdale was asked to draft a letter of notice of appointment to the Town Clerk with copy to the Board of Selectmen.

 

7. MINUTES

 

The minutes of the meeting of 12 April 2000 were presented.

 

MOTION:                   TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED

MOVED:                    R. SILVA

SECOND:                  G. BLOOMINGDALE

VOTE:                      3 YES        0 NO          0 ABSTAIN

 

The next meeting will take place with approval of the membership on 14 June 2000 instead of the third Wednesday, which is Chairman Dr. Alberts birthday.

 

No further business appearing, the meeting was adjourned at 6:58 P.M. by motion of Drysdale, second by Silva and unanimous approval.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Joan M. Drysdale

Commissioner/ Recording Secretary