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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial City Council Minutes 01.08.1985 Minutes of the City Council of Laurel January 8, 1985 A special meeting of the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, was held in the Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Albert Ehrlick at 7:04 p.m~, on January 8, 1985, for the purpose of meeting with the Airport Authority. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Lonnie Kellogg Chuck Dickerson Marvin Carter Donald Meyers Mel Krug Rob Harris COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Bill Brennan Bob Gauthier John Hawley Smith gave a background history of the airport and some of the problems that have arisen. One of the original premises that we've had for a long time - we wanted our airport to look as nice as we possibly could and maintain a high standard of buildings so we had a building code. We wouldn't let people build anything they wanted to build. The Federal Government has a little kind of a handout that they use to direct the runners of the airport. We. also went through a period of trying to update our rules and regulations. The Federal Government sent us a sample of rules from an airport in Colorado and I got some from Billings in order to come up with some ideas for_our airport. I presented these rules to the group, sent a copy to the Federal and State. No matter what is done at the airport, somebody thinks ~it's being done backwards. Personally, I think our committee and authority have done a beck of a job. I was a little miffed when you didn't contact some of the group and say~ "Hey~ you've got a problem up there. Why don't you come up and talk to us?" Personally, I'm not in favor of having a bigger committee. We have a nice size, it works great, whoever was on it or not. It's still a nice size to work with. I think it should represent the people of Laurel who pay the taxes and over the years have paid their share of the development. Th~ comes the less~s. They are saying we discriminated against them. I con- tatted the Federal and the State.~ As far as they are concerned we did not discriminate against them. In March 30, 1982, we came up with this new amount, and they were all there. It would be.12~ per sq. ft. under the hangar. The leases last three years° The new area~we changed to 10~ per sq. ft. and was on a lot size. John also presented the building codes for the airport. The other b~ne of contention at the airport is the trailer up there. We are very concerned with security. One thing was to fence it in. The other have someone living there~ This would provide gas service any time and also pro- tection from vandalism. John also made reference to mowing at the airport. The other point John brought up was we wouldn't let people build in the old area. A few years ago a master plan was done of the old airport and the Federal Government says you will not build down there. This was one of the things brought up at the meeting while I was gone and Handke waid he wouldn't let them build on there either. One other item on leases I forgot to bring out is before we can ever raise the amount, they have the right to say we want to go to arbitration. (That means we can appoint one, they can appoint one, and appoint one together.) pace MinUteS of the City Council of Laurel One last Comment. I think the councii Would make a big mistake enlarging the number on the Airport Authority. I don%t think the members should be any more than the ones who live in the City of Laurel who pay their taxes here and who, over the years, have made what it is today. Guy Stormont stated that John pinpointed it quite well. The only thing I wish is that we would have had an engineer to do some of the staking. It would have been some help to uso Dave Powers The City taxpayers are paying 2 mills a year to support the airport and that's more than the rest of the airport is bringing in. I feel that if someone is appointed to the authority that does not live in the City, the tax- payers have every right to come down on the council. One other item. Last year you councilmen said that since it was an Airport Authority now that we should pay our own property taxes. The City was no longer going to (.fire) protect it as.a piece of City property. In order to do that, I got the tax rolls from the County and we assessed each hangar owner 11.2 mills, the same as the (fire) districts were charged last year. Dave also spoke about how it would be different if it was a City-County airport. But no way. Marvin Carter asked what do we see 5 years down the road? What does the Airport Authority have in mind? Getting rid of the old hangars on the south end? John Smith I think, eventually, they will be phased out. I wouldn't set any time table because they are still useable~ . They are still maintained well enough to meet our building codes. It's hard to predict what growth there will be. Herb Oison I think the maintenance of the facility is a very costly item. Seal coating t~e runways, striping the runways, and maintaining the lights. The north- south runway has to be worked and that's a big item within the next five years. John Smith Going along with what Herb is saying, I would like to see, for just pure safety, a parallel taxiway. Another item~ ~n ~bm~ a~eas,~ after th~ ~as~ and~oi~it~!~s ~e:d~;~the building ~oes te~wh4e~i~w~a.!t~ l~nd. we as a ~mi~ don't agree With tha~.~ ~iave PoWers stated since Herb Olson has been on the Airport Authority, Me has been the snowplow man up there and doesn't charge the airport for any of his work. Herb Olson I don't mind working for the Airport Authority or being on it, I just don't like a big hassel every time you turn around. I believe it would be bad business to establish a 9 member Airport Authority.to operate that little air- port. It's a waste of personnel. Dave Powers Over the years it hasn't been easy.to get people to serve on the airport. It's a sore spot in town. Trying to get qualified people to serve is hard° My spot will be available as soon as I can see that a qualified man can take it. Herb Olson I think the tenants up there should be entitled to consideration in that they are also taxpayers. They pay taxes on their hangars and their aircraft. John Smith That just goes to the County. That doesn't have anything to do with the City. Aircraft goes to the County automatically. Aircraft owners don't pay any tax to any City in the State of Montana. Taxes on buildings go to the City and County. That's by law. In Laurel the Airport is not annexed to the City limits like in Billings. Billings.pays City and County taxes but only on the buildings. They pay just County taxes on airplanes. page 3 Minutes of the City Council of Laurel Marvin Carter Is there.some more taxes being lost because of some airplanes parked up here or not paying the County tax? Is there some way to cheek those people out? John Smith I suppose you could set up there and find out if they haven't but really it's the duty of the County, and they told me it was the duty of the State to make sure those things get licensed. I try to check the tails to see if they are registered in the State of Montana. That's one of our responsibi- lities. Guy Stbrmont You can!t go by that all the time, because last year they didn't send out their decals. Bob Redding We!re not mad at anyone. Our framework is to improve the manage- ment in the airport. In response to John Smith, we were comparing building site with building site. That's how we came up with 7.5 to 22.9 cents per sq. fro One objection I have is there are only two hangar sites at the airport which were paying for land. All the others who are not paying for any land other than the land their hangars rest. WhiIe we are only paying 10~ a sq. ft. for our total land and they are paying 12~ per sq. ft. for their building, makes a lot of difference. Our complaint is if one guy pays for land, everybody pays for land. No one pays for tand and hangars, no one. Exeeptions are only two, on my two new hangars down on the east end, when I have shown in my most recent letter I wilI pay for the 50'×60' lot, on which the buildings are located. Rob Harris Did this same argument come up before the FAA? Bob Redding Yes, sir. Rob Harris What did he say? Bob Redding This is where we got into the discrimination thing, and we have that in the agreement signed by the City and the FAA. It says there i ~ill be no unjust discrimination. It also says you can not use any Federal grant money as a basis for determining your lease or rental rates at the airport. Albert Ehrlick On these other leases, when they run out will they be charged in lot size the~ John? John Smith You bet. There has been one. Mary McKamy's ran out and now she is being charged on lot sizes. Bob Redding In the old hangar area they didn't charge anyone for land. That's when they went to the 12~ per sq. ft. and that was after I was paying for land on the first hangar. So when they changed the rate from whatever to 12~ per. sq. ft. they didn't add any land around the buildings. John Smith The land was started March 30~ 1982. Bob Redding and in 1983 when they wrote the new lease in the old area they didn't charge those people.for any land. One other item, some think we are newcomers. I started flying out of this air- port in 1965. I was one of a group of five that built a hangar in !973 and owned a share of that until 1979. I built a hangar in 1982 and 1984 I built two more. Steve Romine I guess I am a newcomer. I run the parachute club, and I'm really concerned about the attitude:I've heard that if you don't live in the City limits of Laurel you're substandard. I don't quite understand that. I don't know why I wouldn't be as valuable as far as management to the airport as someone who lives within the City limits. paget Minutes of the City Council of Laurel Dave Powers The taxpayers of the City of Laurel are the ones that are footing most of the bill up there. I don't feel that unless you're a taxpayer of Laurel you should be spending taxpayers of Laurel money. Richard Will that reflect on me the way they have decided to spend the ~ax dollars that they are taking from my buildings and my airplane? Dave Powers I think the dollars that are being taken from you are being spent with the County· COMMENT~: I don't know if we have the authority to appoint or deny the governing body to appoint whoever they would like to have on the Airport Authority. That's up to the Mayor. Is there a ruling that says you have to be a resident of the City of Laurel? Don Meye.rs I think there is. If there is, I'd like to see it. Marvin Carter Council~ yes~ Airport Authority, no. Bob Redding stressed also he would like to see the term "us" and "them" eliminated. Discussion regarding setbacks that came up at the last Airport Authority meeting. Mol Krug asked what the gross a~ount of dollars from the City tax dollars that goes to the airport. Don Haekmann A little over $10,000. Mol Krug From the people that own hangars, how many gross dollars comes from their rent into the City coffers? John Smith We antieipate revenues of about $~,000. Bob Redding The proposal that we submitted starting July, 1984, is $5,200. Vern Moody, Montana Aeronautics Two questions came up in December at the meeting: 1) Can you have more than 5 members on an Airport Authority? Legal staff of Department of Commerce says, "Yes." 2) Do ~hey have to be a resident of the eommunity? It does not specifi- cally state that bhey have to.be or don't have to be. The legal opinion there is you would have no problem if they were not. Don M~.y.er.s commented if it wasn,t for the Airport Authority that we have now and in the past, we wouldn't even have an airport. If it was up to the City Council we wouldn't have one because no one had any interest. Lonnie Kellogg I feel the people who don't always agree with the Airport Authority have a chance, in time, to become members of the Airport Authority. I feel the Airport Authority should stay in the proper perspeetive that it is in now. Don Meyers I feel like Lonnie. If you had 5 before that's Kill lots. Joe Bradley There i.s abeolutely no problem if you appoint a non-City resident to the committee. I think you eould limit it to City residents if you wanted or you eould appoint a non-resident if you want. There's still some unanswered questions· Motion by Alderman Kellogg to keep the Airport Authority at five (5) members, seconded by Alderman Harris° Diseussion followed on having more members on the committee. Motion by Alderman Carter to table the motion until Mareh 5th, seconded by Alderman Krug. Motion carried 5-,1 with Alderman Kellogg voting, "NO." The meeting adjourned at 8:27 p.m. ~~~H~' · ac mann, City Clerk Approved by the Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana~ this 15th day of January, 1985.  AIbert Ehrl~ck, Mayor Donald L. Hackmann, City Clerk