2011-05-03 Council Airport Committee MinutesCity Council Airport Committee
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Meeting Minutes
After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council Airport Coinmittee of the City of
Denton, Texas, convened in a regular meeting, on Tuesday, May 3, 201 l, at 2:29 p.m. in the City
Hall Conference Room at City Hall, 215 E. McKinney Street, Denton, Texas.
PRESENT: Council Member Jim Engelbrecht, Mayor Pro Tem Pete I�amp, and
Council Member Chris Watts.
STAFF PRESENT: George Campbell, City Manager; Jon Foi-tune, Assistant City
Manager, Bryan Langley, Chief Financial Officer, Linda Ratliff,
Director of Economic Developinent, Mark Nelson, Director of
Transportation, Quentin Hix, Airpoi-t Manager, and Theresa
Jaworski, Recording Secretary.
OTHERS PRESENT: Don Smith, Chairman of the Airport Advisory Board and Lowell
Brown with the Denton. Recoi°d-CI���onicle.
The meeting was called to order at 2:30 p.m.
Elect the Chair of the Denton City Council Airport Committee.
Mark Nelson, Director of Transportation, opened the first meeting of the City Council Airport
Coinmittee and addressed the first item on the agenda Uy talcing noininations for Chair.
Mayor Pro Tein Pete Kamp nominated Council Meinber Jim Engelbrecht to Chair the City
Council Airport Committee with a second by Council Member Watts.
Motion carried unanimously.
Nelson tmned the meeting over to the Cormnittee Chair, Jim EngelUrecht.
Council Member Engelbrecht directed the Committee's attentioll to the next itein on the agenda:
Receive a report, hold a discussion and provide staff direction regarding the consideration,
procedures aud protocol for Airport Committee agenda items.
Nelson reviewed the Airport Governance Responsibilities Matrix and shared suggestions froin
staff on the direction of the Cormnittee and the paradigm from staff's perspective.
Mayor ProTem Kamp pointed out the Mobility Committee's decision to allow standard leases
and contracts to go on to full Council to avoid delay and her wish that the Airport Committee
could contimie that practice, in the interest of efficiency.
The Conmlittee discussed the defiilition of a standard lease or contract, the flow of approval,
establishing the Committee's parameters, aild dealiug with the reversionary clause.
Council Member Watts aslced for clarity on the direction the Cormnittee will take on the
reversionary clause.
Nelson explained that a consultant has been worlcing with staff and should have a report by May
13. Staff could bring a recommendation to Conunittee the fust Tuesday in Jtu1e. Because a
reversion clause is due on the First Financial lease agreement, an extension of 90 to 120 days has
been prepared and will be brought to this Cominittee and Council for consideration until a
coinprehensive policy recomtnendation addressing the reversion clause issue can be snbinitted to
the Council Committee for consideration.
Council Member Engelbrecht expressed a desire to see the consultant's report as soon as possible
or the next tiine the Cointnittee meets.
Staff explaiued that tiine was needed to vet the report and prepare a recoilunendation for the
Committee. The lease expires June 15 and a 90-120 day extension of the lease agreement would
be tal�eu to Coluicil on June 7, allowi�lg ample time for consideration of the consultant's report
and recoinmendations froin the Aiiport Advisory Board and the Council Airport Cointnittee on
dealing with the reversionary clause issue.
Council Meiilber Engelbrecht asked the Cominittee if they should set the Conunittee meetings
prior to Council ll�eetings on Tuesdays.
Consensus of the Committee was to hold the Airport Coimnittee meetings on the first Tuesday
Council Meetillg dates, after 1:00 p.m. but before the Council Meeting start time.
Nelson finished reviewing the items on the Auport Governance Responsibilities Man-ix and
added that staff sees the Airport Advisory Board advising the Council on cei�tain items. This
Committee meeting would offer opportunities for staff to bring forward specific or target items
for their coi�sideration and recoininendations.
Nelson indicated the Coinmittee Chair would be invited to various Airport activities and other
stalceholder illeetings that would provide opporhinities to interface with the various tenants.
Council Member Engelbrecht encouraged staff to suggest items that need to be brotight to the
Coimuittee and iloted the duplication of responsibilities for the Airport Advisory Board and the
Council Airport Coinmittee.
Mayor Pro Tem Pete I�amp suggested a hybrid plan givulg the Airport Manager the aiithority to
make decisions on routi�le issues, keepi�lg in mind the option of aslcing the Airport Board for
their input.
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A discussion followed on the duplication of responsibilities, the role of the Airport Manager,
how to arrive at the most efficient way to address issues, and the order the issues would be
considered by each group.
Council Member Engelbrecht asked that staff provide examples of upcoming items to help the
Co111mittee define routine, non-policy Airport issues.
Council MeinUer Watts asked for an explanation of the last activity on the matrix, "Provide a
direct interface between the City Cottncil, tenants and other iilterest�d parties regarding Airport
related issues."
City Manager, George Campbell, responded that the intention is to give tenants or interested
parties an opporhinity to lnake an appearance during the Committee meeting so that they could
tall� to Council Members directly.
Council Member Engelbrecht suggested adding a recui7ing item to the agenda for the public or
other interested parties to speak to the Committee or a Council Member.
Mayor Pro Tem suggested checking with the Legal Department for guidance on the way this is
stated on the agenda to accomplish the objectives of the ineeting.
With no fiuther business, the meeting adjourned at 3:12 p.m.
JIM �F�ELBR(�CHT
COMMITTEE CHAIR
CITY OF DENTON, TX
THERESA JAW(�`RSKI
RECORDING SECRETARY
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