Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council Minutes - Los Angeles ...

VAN NUYS AIRPORT CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL Tuesday, October 1, 2013 MINUTES

A meeting of the Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) was called to order at 7:03 p.m. by Elliot Sanders. Members present: Elliot Sanders, Don Schultz, Harold Lee, Cindy Goodfellow, Roger Oeland, David Rankell, David Bernardoni, Roger Ortiz, Gerald Silver, Wayne Williams, Laurence Rabe, Wendy Saunders Members Absent: Faisal Gill, Ron Merkin The Council vacancies as of October 1, 2013 are as follows: One appointment from Board of Airport Commissioners, two appointments from the Mayor’s Office, one appointment from Councilmember Blumenfeld’s Office. The minutes from the September 3, 2013 meeting were unanimously approved. Mr. Sanders stated Mr. Merkin had a cardiac episode and is currently in ICU at Providence Tarzana. He hopes to be released from the hospital on Thursday. Mr. Sanders also stated he did receive a resignation from Mr. Flam. 1.) STAFF REPORTS A.) Year in Preview Report – Discussion/Action Mr. Romo discussed the Year-in-Preview Report (attached). Mr. Romo, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Rodine (member of public), Mr. Schultz, and Ms. Saunders further discussed this item. Mr. Steve Martin, Chief Operating Officer of LAWA, discussed the VNY Deficit Recovery Program (DRP) as follows: There are multiple versions of the provision in various leases, depending on when people signed them before the most recent version is stabilized. LAWA has told almost everyone who has signed it that LAWA wants to conform them all to one configuration and then they will sit down with the group and try to perfect that to a different state and then offer it to everybody. For everybody involved it would involve lease amendments with a change to it. “It is a provision of last resort, not first strike.” It is a policy decision by the BOAC on which way to go. LAWA’s goal is to make sure everybody is treated the same way when leases come up. The DRP is a dormant provision; it requires the BOAC to activate it and then requires the BOAC to set a rate which means there is a lot of process and transparency about anything that could happen with that provision. Mr. Schultz, Mr. Oeland, Ms. Goodfellow, Mr. Bernardoni, Mr. Rodine, and Mr. Feuerhelm, member of the public, discussed this item further with Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin next discussed the Letter of Intent for the Maguire leases to be acquired by Signature Aviation. He stated partly because the Maguire leases have been in various forms of default, mostly on construction performance for quite some time. He stated they have a letter of default out to them. In order for the Signature acquisition of the Maguire entities to close, he thinks it’s likely all 1

agreements including Signature and Maguire agreements will all have to be amended. Right now they have told Signature the Clay Lacy version of the DRP language would be in any amendments going forward. That would put them over 50% of the area that would be subject to the DRP but that does not activate the DRP. That simply says more than a majority of the land area that is under lease is subject to that provision. They have told Signature if they finished this acquisition and go through the amendment process they would be in the same boat as everybody else getting “another bite at the apple” to see if they could come up with another version of the DRP. Mr. Martin stated the CAC will be provided with a copy of the current version of the DRP as stated in the Clay Lacy agreement. Mr. Silver, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Feuerhelm, Ms. Goodfellow, and Mr. Oeland discussed this item further. 2.) REPORT FROM CHAIR Mr. Sanders appointed Mr. Schultz to Chair a new Committee to re-evaluate and possibly reaffirm the CAC By-Laws. He asked Mr. Schultz to select CAC members to meet and discuss the By-Laws relative to the purpose, mission, and to how the members are appointed. Mr. Schultz, Mr. Silver, and Mr. Sanders discussed this item further. A. Working Group Reports – Discussion/Action Ms. Goodfellow stated the CAC has been invited to visit Clay Lacy Aviation next Tuesday, October 8, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. for a Boots on the Ground event. Mr. Sanders asked Ms. Goodfellow to email the entire CAC member with the information on this event. Mr. Williams stated they had a meeting with the Pilot’s Group, FAA, Mr. Len Krugler, and Mr. Scott Tatro of LAWA and covered a number of issues with regards to helicopter looking at trying to find more opportunities and common ground to figure out ways of decreasing noise out of helicopters. They are trying to establish a phone number countywide where people could call in to complain about helicopter issues. This will need to be a government airport funded project but it has not yet been decided. This will be an ongoing process. Mr. Williams and Mr. Silver discussed this item further. 3.) BOAC AGENDA ITEMS CONCERNING VNY Mr. Romo went over the BOAC items pertaining to VNY from the September 17 and October 1, 2013 Board Meetings. All the items are listed below: September 17, 2013 BOAC items: 1. Election

2. Join

of Officers: In compliance with Section 503 of the Los Angeles City Charter

League of Oregon Cities Master Purchase Agreement with WESCO Distribution,

Inc.: For three (3) years, for provision of electrical parts and supplies to Los Angeles World Airports, for cost not to exceed $6,030,000 (David Shuter, 424-646-5111) 3. Join

Western States Contracting Alliance Contract 1862 with W.W. Grainger, Inc. dba

Grainger Industrial Supply: For three (3) years, for provision of industrial supplies to Los Angeles World Airports, for cost not to exceed $4,500,000 (David Shuter, 424-646-5111)

18. For Discussion and Possible Action: Amend the Rules of the Board of Airport

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Commissioners' (Resolution Nos. 15685 and 25069) to set two (2) regular Board meetings per month

October 1, 2013 BOAC items: 3. Three

(3)-year Contract with Microsoft Corporation: For Microsoft Premier support

services for Los Angeles World Airports, for cost not to exceed $1,300,000 (Dominic Nessi, 424-646-5001/Samson Mengistu, 424-646-6251)

All items were approved. 4.) PUBLIC COMMENT – NON-AGENDA ITEMS - Discussion Mr. Rodine, member of public, stated a number of years ago he did some work comparing operations and noisy operations with noise complaints. After completing that one study he had not revisited it. Over the last three months he looked very closely at Mr. Krugler’s reports particularly the ones with a number of complaints. When he saw that there was a single batch of 1500 complaints, he said something is wrong. He felt very strongly that one ought not to create reports that do not support some form of action by management. He thinks the way this report is currently coming out it is that kind of demon and he does not believe that 1500 reports necessarily even relate to events that are as a result of operations that originated at VNY. He would like to appeal to the Council that they take a look at those detailed reports that Mr. Krugler turns out and perhaps reconsider the fact that they want to include 1500 noise complaints from a single person. He thinks those kinds of complaints are what they call outliers in the statistical business. He doesn’t think they necessarily can lend themselves to the sort of statistical analysis that noise reports were meant to provide and he suggests they consider this for the future. He feels very strongly this is a waste of Mr. Krugler’s time and a waste of City material and he doesn’t know what is coming in over the telephone or fax for 1500 but it’s a lot. 5.) NEW BUSINESS A. 2014 Noise Symposium in Palm Springs – Discussion/Action Mr. Sanders discussed the 2014 Noise Symposium in Palm Springs on February 23-26, 2014. Mr. Schultz nominated Ms. Saunders to attend the Symposium. Ms. Saunders stated she will check her schedule and advise if she is able to attend. Mr. Sanders stated if Ms. Saunders is unable to attend, Mr. Ortiz is interested in attending. 6.) OLD BUSINESS A. Status of Prop Park Development – Discussion/Action Mr. Steve Argubright of Pacific Aviation Development, stated the Hangar Association signed the lease. He stated about 95% of everybody who is coming over has signed up. Currently, the concrete is in the ground for 9-10 hangars. There are several people who don’t want to come. He stated they may have to move forward with evicting 7-8 people from the east side who don’t want to move and don’t have anywhere else to go. Mr. Rankell, Mr. Romo, Mr. Schultz, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Goodfellow, Mr. Oeland, Mr. Williams, Ms. Rabe, and Mr. Rodine discussed this item further with Mr. Argubright. 3

7.) EMERGENCY ITEMS SINCE POSTING OF AGENDA – Discussion/Action No items were discussed. 8.) ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS’ COMMENTS – NON-AGENDA ITEMS Mr. Ortiz congratulated Mr. Sanders and Mr. Schultz on the elections. Mr. Silver stated he is concerned they are losing some of their focus, the original charter focus of this group. He stated they spend a lot of time talking about internal, sometimes minuscule things that affect the tenants and their leases. He reminded everyone the motion that was passed by the Council on April 3, 1985 said “It is vital that the airport remain a good neighbor to the surrounding residential and commercial areas.” He is not sure they are fulfilling that. He thinks they are getting away from noise metrics. He suggested the following agenda item for a future meeting: Report where the Stage 2 jet phaseout is, number of aircraft, and how it’s impacting the CNEL. He would also like to have a better handle on the helicopter operations and more detailed reports. Ms. Saunders reminded members of the YMCA event, “An Evening of Hope” on October 17, 2013. Please email Wendy if you are interested in attending this event. 9) ADJOURNMENT: 8:41 p.m.

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