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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01132020 City Council Laydown - Airport 02°0(13 1-kg°" City of Seward (CC vvv-hl , rj Special Ad Hoc l°9 1 (3 Airport Advisory Committee Bruce Jaffa,Chair Stephanie Presley Lynda Paquette Steve Leirer Walter Corrigan Carol Griswold Bob Linville Fred Woelkers Bob Reisner Duke Marolf December 27`h, 2019 Our goals are to reserve currently available funding for the Seward Airport Improvement Project.To design and construct a flood damage control project,to protect the airport runways and property from flooding,to repair and restore existing runway 13/31 in order to accommodate larger aircraft and provide effective disaster relief,to enhance the commercial growth and general well being. • Preserve available FAA funding • Consult and gain support of State and Federal Legislators • Identify additional Funding Partners(Federal, development zone, etc.) • Identify Project Partnerships(City of Seward,SOA, KPB,State and Federal Agencies) • Provide a plan to manage the Resurrection River, (DNR,AK F&W, USACE) • Provide protection to the Airport"flank",the AKRR and Commercial Harbor(USACE) o Do not surrender land to the ravages of the river flows or bedload • Address property issues as a result of the Airport work.Approximately 67 parcels (KPB) • Maintain wetland and habitat in the coastal area that critically enhance local quality of life • Raise the Runway 13/31 above the flood plain per FEMA rules. Request and implement revised FIRM • Identify Commercial Operations with Interest in Seward (Kenai Aviation,AK.Air Carriers) • Explore a long-term cooperative agreement to operate and maintain the airport o Current maintenance is sorely lacking and discourages use • The goal for a 4,533 X 100 feet long runway is to provide for commercial service, disaster relief and national defense logistics. • Maintain the current short strip as a crosswind runway. For general aviation this is equally important. Maintain 16/34 in nearly the same condition as present • Combine Airport Planning with other Seward commercial develop plans and needs.This includes the Freight Docks, Harbor and AKRR. For the Committee Bruce Jaffa Chair o U.S. Department Alaskan Region Airports Division 222 W. 7th Avenue, Box 14 of Transportation Anchorage,Alaska 99513-7587 Tel. (907)271-5438 Federal Aviation Fax(907)271-2851 Administration • DEC 1 2 2019 RECEIVED • The Honorable Christy Terry DEC 13 7019 Mayor,City of Seward OFFICE OF THE P.O. Box 167 CITY CLERK Seward,Alaska 99664 Dear Mayor Terry: I am writing regarding the proposed Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) Seward Airport project and the City of Seward's concerns about the project expressed most recently to the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA)at the August 15,2019,Public Hearing. It is my understanding from the hearing testimony and comments that the City of Seward planned to further develop its position regarding the alternatives for addressing issues with the Seward Airport. As the FAA continues the process of developing the National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA) Environmental Assessment(EA)for the proposed project,we would like to invite you to our office for further discussion on the proposed project. We invite you to come in on either Tuesday,January 7 at 1PM,or Thursday,January 9 at 1PM. Please let us know which date works best for you. Based upon the size of the conference room and to properly scope the meeting,we ask that you limit your participants to 5 individuals. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you. I can be reached at(907)271-5443 or by email at Kristi.Warden@faa.gov. Kristi A. Warden,Director Airports Division (cc,vv\,4- � 3 To: Council �� From: Christy Terry, Mayor Re: FAA/DOT meeting held on 1/09/2020 Attendance: Seward-City Manager Meszaros, City Harbormaster Norm Regis, Ad Hoc Airport Advisory Committee Chair Bruce Jaffa, and myself, via phone Vice Mayor McClure; FAA/DOT-long list of staff including DOT PE Barbara Beaton and all the same staff been attending meetings, and Airports Division Director Kristi Warden with her staff; also Murkowski and Stevens staffers See attached 1) Invitation to the meeting and 2) Bullet points adopted by Ad Hoc Advisory Committee Notes from the Meeting: Kristi Warden stated the basic premise of the meeting was to hear from DOT as the owner operator of the airport, FAA as the Funder and City as a Stakeholder. DOT presented from their perspective what had been done to date and that the Alternative 2.2 was the only option. They considered the long runway to be currently bad shape. I spoke and clarified that Council did NOT have a final voted position and I could only speak to what was approved language in our Federal and State Priorities and also that we had voted to set up an Ad Hoc Committee based on citizen concerns and our desire to retain the long runway. I advocated for our position and the communities desire to retain necessary runway footage for current and future needs. Bruce had more freedom to discuss points raised from the Ad Hoc Committee votes and determinations. Including private carriers desire to start scheduled service at the airport. Basically the meeting was a rehashing off all the recent meetings to date. City discussed our objections and concerns. DOT clarified their position that 2.2 was the only option that would qualify as the 'least overall harm' of the options and provide for a safe operable airport. Some key points: 1) Environmental Assessment will be completed in two weeks and approves moving forward 2.2. 2) 2.2 option Project will go to bid with construction starting 2021. FAA/DOT seemed to confirm funding was going to happen. 3) DOT can and plans to move forward with 2.2 above City objections. They state that the current airport no longer provides for the health and welfare goals of their mission. They want to have a functioning runway to accept fix wing medivac airplanes in place prior to further disintegration of the long runway. Medivac is a primary consideration for them. 4) DOT will not'walk away from the buffer of the long runway' and see the value in keeping that in place to protect airport infrastructure. 5) DOT didn't really answer why comments haven't been put on the website. 6) FAA said that they hear our concerns, but looking at the practicalities of the situation, they don't see another outcome. 7) True or not true-they said a delay at this point to wait for all the requirements to be removed to refurbish the long runway would then be 5-10 years with no funding guaranteed. My opinion was that the Congressional Delegation did not seem supportive of helping us move forward with other options. In speaking to Chair Jaffa, he does have a different option. He has spoken to them outside of the meeting and I just have what I heard at the meeting itself. Additionally, I also think that Council needs to as a body make a determination on how to proceed. Obtain a final determination/recommendation from the Ad Hoc Committee and vote to proceed with their recommendation, another course of action, or do nothing and let the process continue. Perhaps a next step would be a Work Session with the Ad Hoc Committee.