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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-07-26 Airport Committee MinutesAIRPORT COMMIT E MEMNG DNRSDAY, .TO 6, 1995 - NOON NISTRATION OFFICE Present: James Tyler, Chair Don Soucy, Member Tim Woodcock, Member Pat Blanchette, Councilor Ed Barrett, City Manager Bob Ziegelaar, Airport Director Richard Paszyc, Airport Sales Mgr. Media: Various representatives of Newspapers, Television and Radio The meeting was opened at 13:10 PM by the Chair. Items were taken up in sequence as per published agenda: /1. Low Level Radio Active Waste (LLRW). The Airport Director stated that he wanted to update the Committee about the status of the possible proposal, by the Westinghouse Corporation, to ship LLRW materials via BIA. At this point the Airport i awaiting a formal requestfrom Westinghouse to initiate such shipments, at which time a Public Review Forum will be announced to fully brief the general public. The Airport's Sales Manager advised the Committee that he had met the Minister of Transportation for the Russian Republic of Dagestan and had been informed that all aspects about the proposal as far as Dagestan's involvement is concerned are acceptable at this point. Mr. Tyler asked whether Maine would bei a position to stop shipments of LLRW if these materials were to be flown out of a Canadian airport. Mr. Singe - last responded that, to his knowledge, and based upon information received from the State, it would probaby be legal to route such freight through Maine. He added that LLRW materials have been shipped within the country for twenty years, without any serious incidents reported, according to a recent article in the Portland Press Herald. Mr. Woodcock stated that he has not formed an opinion as of yet about the proposed project and wishes to be kept up to date about any final proposal and related de- tails. He also stated that it was important to formulate a response to any questions regarding the moral aspects of the LLRW generation processes and that additional details concerning the specific origins of the materials would be valuable information to have. Mr. Paszyc volunteered that there has been a recent rule change by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission which introduces an oversight role by the State Department as to the export li- censing aspects of this type of project, whereby the State De- partment would assess the conditions at the storage site prier to giving its approval. Mr. Ziegelaar stated next that as soon as a formal proposal is received, a Public Review Forum would be scheduled, at which time expert testimony would be presented by the various oversight agencies as well as other parties. Subse- quent to the public forum, the matter would be presented to the City council during a regular public session. In the meantime, the Airport would disseminate a "briefing sheet" to interested citizens, providing responses to questions received to date. (Note: Briefing sheets were mailed 7-26-95). 02 - Baggage Carts and Lockers. The Airport Director proposed that the airport solicit proposals for the installation and maintenance of baggage carts and lockers. The advantages would be: better control of the carts (by m of a deposit/payment system), increased availability of carts,,sability to respond to passenger requests for temporary baggage storage and a small revenue increase for the airport. Mr. Ziegelaar further ex- plained that most U.S. airports have opted for similar systems. He indicated that it had been the airport's desire to provide carts at no cost but that the costs for retrieval and maintenance had become prohibitive. Upon brief discussion the Committee voted to solicit RFP's for both the carts and lockers. $Z Cellular Telephones. Mr. Ziegelaar explained that he had been approached by a company offering to install a cellular phone rental machine and he suggested that, whereas there would be no financial risk to the airport, "Pis also be solicited for that function. He estimated that franchise revenues to the airport could reach the $10,000 level (per year). The Committee voted to proceed with the proposal through the RFP process. F4 Business Update. The Airport Director next briefed the Com- mittee about the following issues. - interspace advertising, the newly selected airport advertising management company, has also been selected by the Portland Jetport. This should help them appeal to a broader Maine market for advertising displays in Bangor's terminals. - Telford Aviation is continuing its efforts to increase defense related sub -contract work. Senator Cohen is assisting in that process. - North Star Energy's fuel leak and related expenses could lead to problems with the DEP, if the agency decided to seek re- imbursement from BIA for clean-up expenses. Based on discussion with the City Solicitor, the airport could reclaim such expenses from the operator's (North Star) insurance provider. The airport had attempted to close down the operation of the fuel station during 1994 but the DEP consented to allowing the operation to continue for one year, upon Che operator's request. - The latest snow sweeper provided to BIA under an FAA grant i not living up to expectations. The airport may want to upgrade at additional expense. Mr. Ziegelaar stated he would provide the funding solution for such an upgrade if and when he recommends changing equipment. The meeting was adjourned at 1:05 PM