NEW TENANT

Apparently the airport has a new tenant.  A gentleman from Lonedell has rented a hangar for his aircraft, and is going to teach his two sons how to fly.  This pilot does not live in St. Clair.

WHAT MINIMUM STANDARDS

The following is from the 5190.6b. 

What is confusing is that the city has no published minimum standards for the airport.

e. Minimum Standards. To aid in establishing uniform rates and charges applied to aeronautical activities on the airport, the sponsor should establish minimum standards to be met as a condition for the right to conduct an aeronautical activity on the airport.

Chapter 10. Reasonable Commercial Minimum Standards

10.1. Introduction. This chapter describes the sponsor's prerogative to establish minimum standards for commercial service providers and to establish self-service rules and regulations for all other airport activities. Flying clubs are not-for-profit commercial operations and are not normally covered by commercial minimum standards. However, flying clubs are covered within this chapter since a majority of federally obligated airports where flying clubs exist have historically addressed the issue in their minimum standards.

What ordinance was violated?

READER IN WITCHITA

Google Analytic gives the location of the page readers.  Wichita KS is the second after Missouri in page views.  We would like to here from Wichita, if you would like to contact the blog, please use the contact form on the left side of the Web version, and email us.  

WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

If you have ever wanted to take an airplane ride, flying lessons, rent an airplane, or wanted to charter an aircraft, rent a hangar at St. Clair, open a business on the airport, sell aeronautical supplies or conduct any aeronautical activity what so ever, please use the contact form on the website version to email the blog.  We want to hear from you.

NEW AIRPORT SUPPORTERS

The blog has been getting inquiries about the supporters meetings, from people that do not live in St. Clair, who want to attend.  The city was asked for a copy of the ordinance that they claim the meeting violated, but the city has not responded with the ordinance as of yet.  As you will notice, the ordinance was not cited in the letter.  

FEDERAL LAW states that the city is obligated To operate the airport for the use and benefit of the public to make it available to all types, kinds, and classes of aeronautical activity on fair and reasonable terms and without unjust discrimination.

This means the general and aviation public is welcome at the airport for any aeronautical activity at anytime.  The FAA is the final authority in determining what, in fact, constitutes a compromise of safety.  As such, an airport sponsor that is contemplating the denial of a proposed on-airport aeronautical activity or access is encouraged to contact the local ADO or regional airports division. Those offices will then seek assistance from FAA Flight Standards (FS) and Air Traffic (AT) to assess the reasonableness of the proposed action because of safety and efficiency, and to determine whether unjust discrimination or an exclusive rights violation results from the proposed restrictions.

AIRPORT SUPPORT MEETING IS CANCELLED

The next meeting on Sat. has been cancelled.  The following letter was sent by the city.

NEXT AIRPORT SUPPORT MEETING

The next meeting of the airport supporters will be April 26th at 3:00 p.m.  Bring a snack.

PART 16 ON HOLD

REMOVED COMMENT

The comment from Don't Live in St. Clair has been removed.  The local news publication has requested in the past that the blog refrain from using any direct quotes from the newspaper.  An online search for the article using “Enough is Enough” did not produce any hits in the search page for that title, but that does not mean the article does not exist.

The comment started with a reference to the statement that everyone has a right to their opinion.  That is certainly true.  How one forms an opinion and what information is used to do so is also important.  Reliable information on the subject will produce an intelligent opinion.  Rumors and gossip are not reliable information; neither is the biased and one sided information. 

The city has chosen to initiate a process with little or no understanding of the rules that are applicable to the process.  Apparently what the city does not seem to understand, is that these rules are in place to prevent what the city is attempting to do.  The city is boasting that they are breaking new ground in order to correct inequalities in the aviation system, but what they have done is blindly fallen into a maze of Federal Regulations with no hope of ever getting out of.  That is just an opinion

The city is producing the opinion that the future of St. Clair is dependent on retail development, and that this is going to be a cure all for the city.  Every city would jump at the chance to bring in millions of tax dollars to their town, but how realistic is that assumption that this is the answer.  It sounds wonderful, but is it based on sound and solid economic realities?  The city has not promised, or told anyone that these millions in taxes are coming, but instead they have held the numbers up for everyone to see and let them form an opinion based on what?  Nothing!!  What the city has told everyone is that the airport and the tenants are standing in the way of these millions.  What millions?

What should be disturbing to the citizens of St. Clair is that the city leaders might actually believe this will happen, and what should be even more disturbing, is what if they don’t believe it.  

St. Clair JUNE 20th LETTER TO MoDOT

June 20, 2013
Amy Ludwig
Administrator of Aviation
Missouri Department of Transportation
Dear Ms. Ludwig,
Thank you for your response to the City’s previous correspondence. We greatly appreciate the time and assistance given to our situation by your office and both the regional and central FAA facilities.
I will provide clarifications per your letter of May 21, 2013:
Routine Maintenance Items
Item 1, Grass & Weeds: We did not mean to imply that the only weed treatments provided were once in the spring. Our crews spray sidewalks, parking lots and the airport throughout the growing season. That practice will continue on an “as needed” basis.
Item 4, Beacon & Runway Lights: The City will continue to provide timely and qualified repairs to all materials and equipment at the airport for which we have a legal obligation for as long as the obligation remains.
Compliance Plan Correspondence
Item 3, Storage Fees: Attached please End correspondence from the firm of Steven Broadbent, CPA, providing confirmation regarding the establishment of St. Clair Regional Airport Bank Account at Heartland Bank, and documenting the deposit into said account of a check issued by the City of St. Clair in the amount of $1 1,700 for storage fees.
Additionally, Mr. Broadbent’s firm has been engaged to develop and operate the sale at auction of all materials remaining within the maintenance hangar at St. Clair Regional Airport, and to ensure that all proceeds from such sale are deposited into the St. Clair Regional Airport Bank Account at Heartland Bank. Attached please find Mr. Broadbent’s summation of the proposed timeline for said auction.

Item 4, AirEvac Lease: The City will ensure that all future hangar lease agreements with AirEvac LifeTearmsubsequent to the completion of their current lease in 2015 will specifically link the percentage increase of said lease(s) to the lease rate increases levied on fixed-wing tenants, and that all such increases shall comply in full with FAA Rates and Charges Policy.

Again, thank you for your ongoing assistance as we continue to move forward to the ultimate closure of St. Clair Regional Airport.
Sincerely,
Rick Childers
City Administrator
Cc — all the usual suspects
F—

AIRPORT SUPPORTERS

There will not be a meeting on Easter weekend, but we will meet again on the 26^th.   Congressman Tim Jones will be at this meeting also.  

PAVEMENT ANALYSIS

Just a little review about pavement. 

Yesterday, a company that does pavement analysis studies for the FAA was at the airport conducting an assessment of the pavement conditions at the St. Clair Regional Airport.  When they surveyed the common use taxiway, they made the comment that they rate pavement conditions between 1 and 100, and that the common use taxiway appears to be about a 2.   That is a 2 out of a possible 100, that is 1 point above the lowest rating out of a possible 100.   Just to remind everyone of the comments by Ron Blum from the city council meeting in Jan 2013.

“Mayor Blum stated but before we do any repairs, so to speak to the runway surfaces, he would invite every St. Clair resident, every county resident, everyone in the state of Missouri, in the United States to go down and look at that runway and then go travel our city streets and tell me which one is in worse repair.”

What is misleading about the mayor’s statement is that he is only talking about the runway, but what do the Feds say?

Airport Facilities to be Maintained.

This section applies to all airport facilities shown on the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) as initially dedicated to aviation use by an instrument of transfer or federal grant agreement. Essentially this means that the sponsor cannot discontinue maintenance of a runway or taxiway or any other part

of the airport used by aircraft until the FAA formally relieves the sponsor of the federal maintenance obligation. The federal obligations of the sponsor remain in force throughout the

useful life of the facility, but no longer than 20 years – except for land that specifically obligates

the airport in perpetuity.

The insurance provider for the city just recently has paid one tenant over a thousand dollars for propeller repairs due to FOD.  This was a brand new out of the box propeller, put in use for about 20 minutes, and was damaged.  

NEXT MEETING

The St. Clair airport supporters will meet April 12^th at 3:00.   This is going to be a potluck deal, we will check with Bubba to see if the Shrimp can make it on Sat.  We might still need a few brats and buns. 

Congressman Tim Jones, the speaker of the Missouri House will be there for a short while.  Congressman Jones and a couple of airport supporters met with Amy Ludwig, from MoDOT Aviation, on Tuesday in Jefferson City.  Amy Ludwig gave the congressman a description of the situation at St. Clair, after which the congressman asked Amy Ludwig, what do we have to do to keep the airport open?  The congressman also stated that he wants to see the airport stay open.  

Anyone that wants to get a clear picture of the airport situation, is welcome to attend.  

AIRPORT SUPPORTERS

Supporters of the St. Clair airport met Sunday to discuss the airport and other aviation issues.  The group decided to meet on a regular basis to discuss and inform interested parties of the situation at the airport.  

Skipped meeting

Both the meeting agenda and the minutes from the city council meeting that dealt with the NPIAS, are not listed on the city website.   They skipped that meeting.   Maybe they just forgot!

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