Title
Airport Committee Meeting Highlights of March 9, 2012
Body
CITY OF SAN LEANDRO
CITY COUNCIL AIRPORT COMMITTEE
March 9, 2012
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
San Leandro City Hall
835 East 14th Street
San Leandro, California
City Manager's Large Conference Room
HIGHLIGHTS
Committee Members: Councilmembers Starosciak (Chair) and Prola
City staff present: Assistant City Manager Lianne Marshall; Luke Sims, Community Development Director; Rich Pio-Roda, Assistant City Attorney; Kathy Ornelas, Community Relations Representative
Public present: Carla Kell-Smith, John McAndrews, and Roberto Lujan, C. Kell-Smith & Associates; Larry Galindo and Wayne Bryant, Airport Noise Office; John Manuel and Gerd Marggraff, South Field Group Community Representatives
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m.
1. Report on Airport Noise Insulation Program
C. Kell-Smith and Associates reported that Phase II of the Airport Noise Insulation Program (ANIP) is underway with 62 homes scheduled to receive insulation improvements when supplies are delivered to the contractors (report attached). Construction is expected to begin on or about May 21 and be completed on or about July 27.
Depending upon how much of the Port's committed $3.4 million in funds for Phase II remains after these 62 homes are finished, Chief Building Official William Schock will work with C. Kell-Smith to contact homeowners remaining on the interest list and complete as many more homes as possible by the deadline of December 1, 2012. All other remaining homes will have to wait until the Port's debt service ratio reaches the agreed upon level in the August 23, 2011 Addendum to the Settlement Agreement as Phase III, which has a final termination date of December 21, 2017.
Committee members asked questions regarding Phase III, and regarding homeowners contacted for Phase II who had properties with identified code violations. They also asked that the Port provide the City with regular reports on the Port's debt service ratio in the coming months.
2. Report from the City Attorney's Office Regarding Status of Settlement Agreement Addendum with Port of Oakland
Assistant City Attorney Pio-Roda reported that his office has been in continued discussions with the Port's Attorneys regarding the Port's obligation for participation in the Eden Road project. He believes the City and the Port can work through the disagreements in the interpretation of the Addendum. He has also met with Engineering and Transportation staff regarding the status of the project. The project is continuing, despite loss of Redevelopment funding, and staff is attempting to find other grant funding to replace the Redevelopment funds.
3. Report from Airport Noise Office on New Website and Whisper Track System
Larry Galindo provided an overview (PowerPoint slides attached) of the Whisper Track: Fly the Quiet Route service the Airport offers on its website for pilots flying into and out of the Oakland International Airport (OAK) so they can familiarize themselves with the noise abatement procedures at OAK. This is cutting edge technology for the industry, and OAK is one of the first airports in the nation to subscribe to the service.
Wayne Bryant reviewed many of the features available to the community through OAK's updated website, including an enhanced flight tracking feature and access to highlights of community meetings on airport matters. The link to the website is http://www.flyquietoak.com/index.html.
4. Report from North Field and South Field Study Groups and Aviation Stakeholders Advisory Committee
Kathy Ornelas reported that the North Field and South Field Research Groups have merged to have combined quarterly meetings. This has proven to be an improvement for all members.
At the December meeting of the group, a pilot who had received a notice of non-compliance from the Noise Office attended to hear the concerns of the group and the neighboring communities. This was seen as positive evidence of the Noise Office's efforts to educate pilots at OAK about noise abatement procedures.
Larry Galindo reported that the FAA is considering new standards and flight regulations for helicopter pilots. Complaints about helicopters into and out of OAK have increased in recent months due to Occupy protests in the East Bay. Larry will keep the group informed about the FAA's progress in establishing regulations that maintain safety in the air for helicopter pilots while considering the noise impacts their operations create for neighborhoods.
Study continues regarding a possible San Leandro Preferential Runway Use Policy to take more flights over industrial areas when arriving at the North Field.
5. Discussion Regarding Citizen Representatives to the Study Group and Noise Forum
Kathy Ornelas reported that North Field Group representative, Debra Brinson, had resigned due to family matters. The Committee discussed and agreed that it is important to continue to have two resident representatives for both North Field and South Field groups. Direction was to plan a recruitment effort in the coming months to find a replacement for Ms. Brinson and to fill the second North Field Group vacancy for San Leandro.
Appointment to the Noise Forum was also discussed. Will Fernandez's two-year appointment is due to expire this June. The Committee agreed that, due to Mr. Fernandez's contributions to the Noise Forum and his expertise as a pilot and a member of the aircraft industry, his continued representation on the Noise Forum is an asset to San Leandro. The Committee directed to staff to ask him to continue for another 2-year term. (Mr. Fernandez has since accepted this extension of his appointment, with thanks to the City Council for the opportunity to serve San Leandro in this way.)
6. Discussion Regarding Agenda Items for the Port Board of Commissioners on June 7
The Committee agreed to recommend four items for discussion with the Port Board on June 7:
· Status of the Eden Road Project and the Port's participation in the project
· Environmental Assessment of the Runway Safety Area Improvement Project
· Completion of the Airport Noise Insulation Program in San Leandro per the terms of the original Settlement Agreement
· Regular reports to the City regarding the Port's dept ratio in relation to Phase III of the insulation program
Since the City Council Airport Committee is being disbanded and absorbed into the Community Development Committee, it was recommended that Councilmembers Souza, Starosciak and Prola attend the June 7 meeting to represent the City Council.
The Committee also discussed sending a side letter to the Port of Oakland, recommending these meetings be reduced to twice yearly, instead of three times per year, since that schedule has not been met in the past two years and many issues between the community and the airport have been resolved in recent years.
7. Discussion Regarding Airport Committee Transition
Councilmember Starosciak gave an overview of the City Council's approach to consolidating some of the City Council's committees. Airport related issues will now be addressed in a committee that combines the Airport Committee and the Housing and Business Development Committee into the new Community Development Committee. Community Development Director Luke Sims is assuming airport related responsibilities in light of Kathy Ornelas's retirement at the end of April.
8. Public Comments
Larry Galindo, on behalf of the Airport's Director of Aviation, Debra Ale Flint, presented Kathy Ornelas with a framed certificate of congratulations in honor of her retirement on April 30. He expressed gratitude for Kathy's involvement and participation in airport related matters over the past 20+ years.
Gerd Marggraff asked that the airport find ways to encourage airlines to use quieter aircraft. The new airlines coming into OAK, Allegiant Air, uses particularly loud aircraft.
John Manuel asked questions about the insulation program and expressed disappointment that the terms of the original Settlement Agreement have not been met. He agreed that full resident representation to the North Field and South Field groups is important.
9. Committee Member Comments
Councilmember Prola stated that he is happy to support Councilmember Souza at the Noise Forum meetings now that he will be the alternate and she will be the primary representative to the Forum. He also expressed appreciation to the Airport Noise Office staff for their accomplishments in getting Air Traffic Control to keep planes flying to the 180° radial and away from San Leandro neighborhoods during Southeast departure periods. Further, he expressed thanks to Gerd Margraff and John Manuel for their continued participation in the South Field Group as representatives for San Leandro.
Councilmember Starosciak thanked the Noise Office staff for their work with the San Leandro community, and their efforts to be sure San Leandro is considered in all of the Port's decisions. She also commented how the future Shoreline Development project will need to consider issues related to airport noise in those plans.
10. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 10:35 a.m.