Airport Advisory Board
Regular MeetingDeKalb, IL · June 23, 2020
Minutes
Minutes
Airport Advisory Board
The Airport Advisory Board of the City of DeKalb, Illinois, held a Regular meeting on June 23, 2020, at the DeKalb
Taylor Municipal Airport, 3232 Pleasant Street, DeKalb Illinois in the first floor Community Room.
Vice Chair Bernard Pupino called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
A. Roll Call
Renee Riani called the roll and the following members of the Airport Advisory Board were present: Paul
Borek, Scott Carlson, Matt Duffy, Bernard Pupino, James Rhoades, and Tony Faivre.
Also present were: Airport Manager Renee Riani, City Manager Bill Nicklas, and Mayor Jerry Smith.
B. Approval of Agenda – Additions / Deletions
Paul Borek moved to approve the agenda; seconded by James Rhoades. Motion passed by a majority voice
vote of those present.
C. Public Participation
Scott Carlson introduced himself to the Board as the newest appointed member.
Mayor Smith commended Renee Riani for the informative agenda, and further compliments were shared by
Bill Nicklas and echoed by members of the Board.
D. Approval of Minutes – February 25, 2020
Paul Borek moved to approve the minutes of February 25, 2020 meeting; seconded by James Rhoades.
Motion passed by a majority voice vote of those present.
E. Old Business
1. Illinois Department of Transportation/Division of Aeronautics Aircraft Counting Study
Questions were raised regarding the usage of the data that will be gathered, length of the study,
whether the data will be shared. Renee Riani explained the collected data will be used as one of the
factors in determining airport system planning and future development funding by IDOT and the FAA
and will be shared, and the study spans a year.
F. New Business
1. DKB-4331 – Taxiway – Rehabilitate T-Hangar Pavements, Airport Entrance Road, and Auto Parking Lot
No questions or discussion.
2. DKB-4853: CARES Act
No questions or discussion.
3. DKB-4556: Relocate & Replace the Existing NAVAID Units on Runway Ends 2, 20, & 27
No questions or discussion.
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June 23, 2020
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4. DKB-4800: Resurface Runway 2-20
A question was raised by meeting attendee, Jeff Kohlert, President of Fly America, an airport
tenant/business, regarding the possibility of having a portion of Runway 9-27 available during the
intersection construction, which would allow the airport to remain open, albeit with a shorter length of
runway available. Renee Riani said that she would present that idea to CMT and IDOT for consideration.
G. Reports
a. Airport Manager’s Report
No questions or discussion.
b. Flight and Ground Operations
Bill Nicklas shared update on Cortland resident complaints and gave background on the previous
meeting he attended last fall with a few of the Cortland residents, a Cortland police officer, Tom
Cleveland, former DeKalb Airport Manager, and FAA Flight Standards District Office representative. Prior
to the meeting, the FAA representative had reviewed the residents’ emails, photos and videos,
addressed them during the meeting, and provided a PowerPoint presentation to show that the
operations at DKB are within FAA regulations. Discussion and comments were made regarding the fact
that the airport has been in existence for many years prior to the Cortland residences being established.
Renee Riani provided an update on the 100LL aviation gasoline truck recent leak. Scott Carlson
suggested checking with the fuel supplier to see if they offer a fuel truck lease program.
c. Budget
Renee Riani explained that following the statewide Stay at Home order, the City had established a non-
essential spending freeze and the only out-of-the-ordinary expenditures have been for necessary fuel
truck and farm repairs.
d. Hangar Rentals
Renee Riani received another hangar rental inquiry that morning, which brought the current hangar
waitlist total to 11. Discussion included the fact that one aircraft owner might be on more than one
waitlist at multiple airports. Renee Riani had spoken with the Kankakee Airport manager who has many
vacancies, which shows that aircraft owners will typically seek a hangar that is within reasonable reach
of their home.
H. Adjournment
Paul Borek moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by James Rhoades. Motion passed by a majority voice
vote of those present. Vice Chair Pupino adjourned the meeting at 7:46 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:
_________________________________
Renee Riani, Airport Manager
Approved: July 28, 2020.
Agenda
AGENDA
Airport Advisory Board
June 23, 2020
7:00 p.m.
Location
3232 Pleasant Street
First Floor Community Room
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
A. Roll Call
B. Approval of Agenda – Additions / Deletions
C. Public Participation
D. Approval of Minutes
1. February 25, 2020
E. Old Business
1. Illinois Department of Transportation/Division of Aeronautics Aircraft
Counting Study.
Airport Manager’s Summary: A temporary General Aviation Recording Device
(GARD) traffic counts system has been installed in the upstairs office. We are
working with IDOT for their state-wide aircraft traffic counting program that
includes estimating aircraft operations and determining critical aircraft at the
airport throughout the next year. The collected data will be used as one of the
important factors in determining airport system planning and future
development funding by IDOT and the FAA.
F. New Business
1. DKB-4331 – Taxiway – Rehabilitate T-Hangar Pavements, Airport
Entrance Road, and Auto Parking Lot.
Airport Manager’s Summary: The IGA for this past completed project had a
date range that expired April, 2020, and necessitated an amendment which
extends the date in order for the consultant to submit invoices for work incurred
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June 23, 2020
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once IDOT closes the project. Res 2020-054 for the Amendment was passed
on 6/8/2020 along with a modification affidavit for the IGA since the end date
had expired.
2. DKB-4853: CARES Act.
Airport Manager’s Summary: FAA CAREs Act program in which FAA is helping
Airports with the impacts due to the COVID19 crisis. Internal Control
Questionnaire (ICQ) for the 2021 fiscal year was completed by Sabrina
Kuykendall Kvasnicka, Transit Planning & Grants Coordinator, on 4/7/20 and it
was approved on 4/8/20, so we will be able to receive the funding. Invoices are
being finalized for the two items for which we applied for reimbursement, a
Frontier FM1015R mower deck, $19,500.00 and Airport Manager’s salary,
$10,500.00, which totals the allotted award of $30,000.00. The State has
assured the airports that as long as paperwork is complete and in order,
payments should be processed quickly, following the State’s shut-down for its
fiscal year shutdown, July 1-30.
3. DKB-4556: Relocate & Replace the Existing NAVAID Units on Runway
Ends 2, 20, & 27.
Airport Manager’s Summary: This project has been bid out and awarded to
William Charles Electric in the amount of $595,000.00. Resolution 2020-038
was passed on 5/11/20 for construction phase engineering with Crawford,
Murphy & Tilly. The project total includes an additional 5% local share included
in the total project cost, which is budgeted in Fund 260 (TIF #1 260-00-00-
83900). Included in the project is an installation of a supplemental wind cone
at the end of Runway 9.
4. DKB-4800: Resurface Runway 2-20.
Airport Manager’s Summary: This project has reached 100% Construction
Plans provided by Crawford, Murphy & Tilly and is slated for bid on the July 31,
2020 IDOT letting. This is an expected 45-day project, during which Runway 2-
20 will be closed along with adjacent taxiways, and during which a 15-day
closure of Runway 9-27 will be required for intersection construction. After a
30-day period allowed for pavement curing, a 5-day construction window will
be needed for Runway 2-20 surface grooving and runway marking painting,
during which a 2-day closure of Runway 9-27 will be necessary. The total
estimated cost is $4,387,329.66 with 90% FAA, 5% State, and 5% local
funding; however, due to the impact of COVID-19, the FAA has said they will
be funding 2020 projects at 100%. IDOT-DOA is fairly confident that this project
will qualify since the letting is in July 2020, even though construction would not
commence until 2021.
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June 23, 2020
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G. Reports
1. Airport Manager’s Report
My first Day was Monday, April 20, during the COVID-19 State Stay-at-Home
order. My first six weeks were spent digging through mountainous piles of
paperwork, culling old files, opening closets, touring airfield facilities, meeting
City Staff and airport tenants at a distance, while acclimating myself to the
airport environment and establishing a routine. Our dedicated line service staff
has been wonderfully welcoming and willing and helpful beyond belief.
Andy Raih, City of Dekalb Streets and Facilities Director, has been wonderful
from Day 1! He gave me a perimeter tour during my first week, and we have
worked closely on coordinating weekly periodic runway closures for mowing
operations around the runways and taxiways. Our new batwing mower deck
went into service at the beginning of May and has provided an excellent fine
cut alongside our zero-turn mower, which is operated by our full time Summer
Temporary Staff, Jake. Andy also scheduled the street sweeper to clean up
around all hangar buildings and the FBO to clear debris caused by snow
removal operations, which was noticed and appreciated by our tenants.
The first week of May I was informed that our ramp-facing wide-angle PTZ
camera is inoperative and is estimated at $1600 to replace. The cameras on
the exterior of the FBO are monitored by DeKalb Police Department.
We are looking forward to offering faster Wi-Fi access to those who visit our
FBO soon, as we will be receiving from Old City Hall a faster switch and
replacement wireless routers for improved connectivity to the internet.
On Saturday, June 13, 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM we hosted the DeKalb County
Health Department Household Hazardous Waste Event at the corner of Peace
Road and Pleasant Street. A significant influx of items was collected due to the
Stay-at-Home order creating space of time for residents to reduce and dispose
of appropriately.
On Monday, June 15, our NIU Summer Intern, Dylan Moffitt, started working
up to 40 hours per week and will be with us through August 14. He is already
an asset, as he has jumped in with both feet, is completing tasks, and asking
for more. I am having him evaluate our hangar rents against other regional
airports and our land leases to determine if appropriate yearly CPI increases
have been applied.
I have been investigating our various storage facilities. I am developing a game
plan for moving equipment to different locations for better use of our space and
anticipating rehabilitation of hangars.
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June 23, 2020
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Challenges and opportunities abound. I am looking forward to the possibility of
using TIF funds for various rehabilitation and improvements of our dated
facilities, a number of which are in need of significant repairs.
2. Flight and Ground Operations.
Airport Manager’s Summary: Having started as Manager in the middle of the
Stay-at-Home order, I had no comparison for what might be considered
“normal” flight and ground operations. Monthly fuel sales as recorded:
Month 100LL gal Sales JetA gal Sales
March 1768.6 $ 8,004.77 2688.0 $ 8,256.45
April 2753.2 $12,428.83 3795.0 $11,492.35
May 8,798.3 $28,127.53 2080.0 $ 5,390.20
Our water spigot was set up the week of April 27 for owners to be able to taxi
over to the north ramp and wash their airplanes!
Our required yearly fuel farm and fuel truck fuel filter replacements occurred on
Tuesday, June 9, accomplished by Filtration Corp out of Addison. Two very
knowledgeable FC technicians, Gordon and Mike, spent 12 hours with Kevin
and Dave, with the remnants of Christobal causing a few monsoon delays.
They also replaced a dirty metal, JetA valve assembly with stainless steel, after
2 trips to a Rockford supplier. The new valve assembly will be beneficial in two
counts, allowing for clean, daily required fuel samples, and quicker draining of
the filler vessel during future service intervals. Due to the challenging weather,
the new valve assembly did end up with a drip leak, which was discovered on
Wednesday by Rich, and Tom Brian was able to stop the drip. Mike, FC
technician, returned Thursday morning and completed the valve tightening,
returning the JetA Farm to service. Mike and Gordon were instructive for our
staff and will provide a comprehensive report with recommendations for
additional repairs and required inspections and replacements.
An asset insurance question arose regarding our Automated Weather
Observation System (AWOS) on the field after speaking with our FAA-
contracted AWOS technician. The AWOS land line access feature is currently
not allowing phone-in recordings for Notices to Airmen when we need to
disseminate runway closures for mowing, snow removal, construction, etc. The
technician suspects the cause to be a defective circuit board that most likely
the FAA would not pay to repair/replace and is estimated to cost $2500 to
$3000. He mentioned we would want to make sure our insurance is up to date.
Because the feature is inoperative, each time we close a runway for mowing, I
have to drive on the airfield to the AWOS station, open the locked gate, open
the secure cabinet to access the land line handset, make the recording,
resecure the cabinet, lock the gate and drive back to the parking lot. When
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June 23, 2020
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mowing is complete, I have to take the same actions to cancel the runway
closure recording.
This week, I worked with Kevin Howard on creating a digital form for tracking
daily fuel sales and other line services that we offer, as we currently have two
paper forms that are completed on a daily basis, which Kevin has to transpose
to an existing spreadsheet for end of month accounting. I have started training
our Line Service staff on its use.
I received notice from Dave Dahlburg, Line Service Technician, that he is in the
final stages of on boarding requirements to be hired as a Community Service
Officer for the City of Crystal Lake Police Department. He has offered to stay
on in a more limited part time capacity for periodic weekend shifts. I will work
with Michelle Brenning, Human Resources, to post the vacancy.
I have fielded noise/overhead air traffic complaints from two Cortland residents
and have spoken with the regional FAA representative regarding it. I
understand that a year ago May, an FAA-hosted meeting was held with the
residents, Bill Nicklas, City Manager, and Tom Cleveland, Airport Manager,
during which the FAA representative gave an informational presentation,
explaining that the airport is in compliance with Federal Regulations. I have
communicated that I trust that the pilots are also flying in accordance with the
Federal Aviation Regulations, making their best decisions for safe operations
based on conditions, traffic, and abilities.
3. Budget
Airport Manager’s Summary: I am tracking all expenditures as they occur to
determine appropriate budget numbers for the 2021 FY. In May, the City
declared a spending freeze for non-essential expenditures, as a result, I did not
renew several print advertising avenues and want to evaluate them before
deciding to renew at next print run interval. I have been evaluating contracted
services as the invoices were received, and I have so far trimmed $3,240.00
from our expenses:
EcoWater reverse osmosis service at 2100 Pleasant Street Maintenance
hangar cancelled, $240.00/year.
FBO DirectTV subscription cancelled, $1,164.00/year.
MCI long distance for AWOS cancelled, $396.00/year.
Frosty Pot portable toilet at 2100 Pleasant Street canceled, $1,440.00/year
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4. Hangar Rentals
Airport Manager’s Summary: We have received several maintenance requests
for lights out or roof leaks this spring, which have all been attended to in a timely
fashion by Public Works staff.
We have entered a lease agreement with Tom Richards for his Cessna P210
which will hangar in our Community bay starting July 1, 2020, $431.98/month.
I have received 10 requests for hangars, heated and non-heated, since I
arrived.
H. Adjournment