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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/15/2013 - Meeting MinutesSALT LAKE CITY DEPARTMENT OF AIRPORTS MINUTES OF ADVISORY BOARD MEETING 15 May 2013 Members Present: Wayne Holland (Chair Natalie Gochnour (Vice-Chair) Igor Best-Devereux Mickey Gallivan J.T. Martin Russ Pack Mike Zuhl Excused: Carlton Christensen David Ibarra Mayor’s Office: David Everitt Department of Airports: Maureen Riley, Executive Director Wendy Mauer, Support Staff Chair Wayne Holland called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. AGENDA A. Minutes The motion was made by Chair Wayne Holland and seconded by Vice-Chair Natalie Gochnour to approve the minutes of April 17, 2013, as presented. All votes were affirmative; motion passed. B. Director’s Report Maureen Riley, Executive Director, updated the Airport Advisory Board regarding current events.  The public survey relating to the Terminal Redevelopment Plan (TRP) has received approximately 100 responses to date. We will try to compile these responses and present them at next month’s meeting. The responses included these common requests: preserve the feeling of Utah and bring the landscape into the new terminal; enlarge Wi-Fi coverage; install plenty of charging stations for electronic devices; keep rental cars on- site and on the ground level; keep a walkway from the economy lot to the terminal; and retain smoking rooms. Although the smoking rooms have been controversial, they do protect other passengers from second-hand smoke. Additionally, history shows that if airports do not provide smoking rooms, passengers will smoke in the restrooms. Unusual requests included a basketball court and a hot tub. Airport Advisory Board Meeting Minutes 15 May 2013 2  As outlined in the Leigh Fisher presentation included with the board packets, Delta has decreased its fleet by 11% in the past 4-5 years. However, the average aircraft size has increased over 7%, reflecting a shift away from the use of small regional jets. Over the next five years, Delta expects to add approximately 215 planes to its fleet, many of which will be replacing smaller aircraft.  New statistics show a 1% increase in SLC passengers in March 2013 (as compared to March 2012). There was also a 60% increase in mail (as cargo) in the month of March, which is often a leading indicator of economic improvement. Vice-Chair Natalie Gochnour asked if this figure included all cargo or just U.S. mail. Riley indicated that she would seek clarification and follow-up at next month’s meeting.  The Airport was the first department to present its budget to the City Council this year. Council members had only one question about the airport’s operating budget during the April 23rd meeting. Following a summary of outreach programs presented to the Council, most of the time was used for answering questions related to the TRP.  The taxi litigation issues have seen some progress. The judge recently ruled on a number of outstanding motions in the City’s favor. Only one motion remains, which we hope to have resolved in 60-90 days. In response to Chair Wayne Holland’s question about the remaining issue, Riley stated that it concerned a claim of discrimination against the taxi drivers.  The June board meeting has been moved to June 26th because Riley will be out of the office on June 19th. Chair Holland chose to move the meeting instead of holding it in Riley’s absence or cancelling it altogether. Igor Best-Devereux complimented the airport on the results of the SKYTRAX World’s Top 100 Airports survey. SLC moved up from position 99 in 2012 to 94 in 2013, which Riley suspects is related to concession redevelopment. Of special note is the fact that no domestic U.S. airport is listed in the top 25. Russ Pack stated that the TRP outreach program is a great idea and is well advertised. Pack also welcomed J.T. Martin to the board. Chair Holland inquired about the May 1st start date for the TRP outreach program presented at last month’s meeting. Riley indicated that the aforementioned survey, posters and column wraps, etc. are a part of that program. Chair Holland stated that during a recent visit to Gordon Biersch Brewery, a staff member asked about the possibility of additional assistance with advertising the restaurant. Riley replied that advertising opportunities are available and concessionaires must work through the proper channels since the airport has an advertising contract. Airport Advisory Board Meeting Minutes 15 May 2013 3 C. Public Safety at the Airport Randy Berg, Director of Operations, introduced three of his staff members: Connie Proctor, Superintendent of Operations; Paul Paulsen, Airport Fire Chief; and Steve Marlovits, Airport Police Chief. Proctor, Paulsen and Marlovits made a presentation to the Board regarding public safety at the airport (presentation on file). The presentation included the following topics:  Varied functions of the Control Center  Control Center employee training and certifications  Priorities and responsibilities of firefighting personnel at the airport  Shared responsibilities and property with the Salt Lake City Fire Department  Automated External Defibrillator (AED) program  Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Training Center  Sample calls for fire and police assistance  Airport Police organizational structure and specialized teams  Training for law enforcement personnel  Cooperation with federal, State and local agencies  Recent high-profile cases Vice-Chair Gouchnor asked where the Control Center is located. Proctor replied that it is on the mezzanine of Terminal 1 near the Operations administration offices. Best-Devereux asked if SLC risked losing experienced Control Center employees because of the intensive training required. Proctor answered that we typically lose two to three employees per year. Some are simply not a good fit for the position, while others are promoted to other positions at the airport. Best-Devereux asked if the requirement for learning 30 computer systems in the Control Center could be simplified. Proctor stated that the 24-hour presence of the Control Center staff necessitate working knowledge of many systems, and added that some of these systems have multiple uses. Chair Holland asked why the Control Center coordinators are dispatching taxis. Proctor clarified that the coordinators will only call to request a taxi for a stranded passenger late at night or during irregular operations. Pack stated that a third fire station at the airport was discussed as a possibility several years ago and asked for a status update. Berg noted that the FAA proposed a more stringent ruling for ARFF staffing and emergency response time about two years ago. The airport industry worked with the Transportation Research Board to study this issue and proved to the FAA that the proposed requirement was unnecessary. When aircraft accidents over a 25 year period were studied, only one life would have been saved had the proposed changes been in place. Airport Advisory Board Meeting Minutes 15 May 2013 4 Chair Holland asked for more information about the fire department’s cooperative training with Delta Air Lines. Paulsen stated that approximately 12 Delta pilots have come to SLC to participate in this day-long training. Pilots who have been through the training are then asked to share what they’ve learned with other pilots at Delta. Chair Holland asked what types of medical calls the paramedics respond to. Paulsen answered that the calls vary widely and may include things such as a missed dose of medication, a twisted ankle or a heart attack. Chair Holland asked Paulsen to restate the definition of an Alert III. Paulsen noted that an Alert III means a crash is imminent or has already happened. These include crashes that may happen in the vicinity, but not on airport property. Fire captains have the authority to upgrade alerts as more information becomes available. Some incidents (such as visible smoke in the cockpit) may be reported as an Alert III, but do not result in a crash. Michael Gallivan asked if the airport borrows personnel from Salt Lake City Fire during emergencies. Paulsen answered that the airport does have an agreement in place with the City for additional personnel and/or equipment. This is common practice with many airports. Berg added that an Alert III will automatically dispatch units from downtown to stand by at the perimeter of the airport. Gallivan also asked if most firefighters from downtown go through the training at the ARFF Training Center. Paulsen stated that most do not, although many have. In addition, ARFF training is required for a firefighter to bid for an open position at the airport. All Salt Lake City firefighters are trained for medical calls and airplane rescue response at the airport. Best-Devereux asked if the Air Traffic Control Tower communicates with the Control Center or the fire station. Paulsen answered that the “crash phone” is a direct line from the Tower to the Control Center. Proctor added that communications made on the crash phone are broadcast via an overhead speaker system at the fire station so that firefighters and Control Center coordinators hear the call simultaneously. Best-Devereux stated that he has attended the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) demonstration mentioned by Chief Marlovits, was very impressed by it, and recommended the training to others. Marlovits added that other airports are now offering similar training as a result of this initiative at SLC. Regarding the number of individuals who have been arrested for attempting to bring a prohibited weapon through the checkpoint, Best-Devereux asked if it would be helpful to have more signage to reinforce these restrictions with passengers. Marlovits stated that additional signage has not proved to reduce the number of attempts to fly with a weapon in the several decades these restrictions have been in place. Vice-Chair Gochnour asked if sensors have been or could be installed to detect biological weapons. Marlovits answered that no such sensors are installed at SLC, and available products are notorious for producing frequent false alarms. Marlovits added that the Fire Department and other local agencies have devices which can be used to test suspicious substances if needed. Airport Advisory Board Meeting Minutes 15 May 2013 5 Vice-Chair Gochnour asked Marlovits for clarification of who has command of control in a major incident. Marlovits replied that, in such an event, he would be in the Emergency Operations Center with Berg and other affected agencies, and Captain Craig Vargo would be at the scene. J.T. Martin asked how traffic citations are processed. Marlovits replied that all citations go through City channels and the airport receives no revenue. Chair Holland asked for more information about covert alarms and also the high number of property damage incidents and arrests reported in 2012. Marlovits answered that covert alarms are silent alarms sent from the security checkpoints and the credit unions/banks directly to the Control Center. Many of these are later found to be false alarms. Reports of property damage include any damage to passenger, employee or airport property—often accidental. Many arrests made at the airport are as a result of the vetting process for new employees (as the required background check may reveal an outstanding warrant). When other arrests are made, officers work very hard to cuff the individual and remove them from public view as quickly as possible. The next Board meeting will be held 26 June 2013. The Board Chair closed the meeting at 9:10 a.m. ___________________________ ________________________ Wayne Holland, Chair Date ___________________________ _________________________ Ralph Becker, Mayor Date