MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

 

 

October 19, 2006

 

 

 

The Board of County Commissioners of Brevard, Florida, met in special session on October 19, 2006 at 5:30 p.m. in the Government Center Florida Room, Building C, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, Florida.  Present were:  Chair Helen Voltz, Commissioners Truman Scarborough, Ron Pritchard, Susan Carlson, and Jackie Colon, Assistant County Manager Stockton Whitten, and County Attorney Scott Knox. 

 

 

 

 

Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Pritchard, to adopt Resolution No. 06-303, welcoming Senator M. Mandy Dawson to Brevard County and wishing her continued success in her service to the residents of Florida.  Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

 

 

Commissioner Colon advised Representative Bob Allen is driving over from Orange County; he is very interested in the topic; and he requests an opportunity to speak when he arrives.  Chair Voltz replied Michael Fadden is also on his way; and both will be granted an opportunity to speak.

 

 

Chair Voltz stated she has a letter from the Board on behalf of Larry Weber for Keep Brevard Beautiful in support of a grant; and handed each Commissioner a copy. 

 

Motion by Commissioner Carlson, seconded by Commissioner Pritchard, to approve a letter of support for Keep Brevard Beautiful’s application to the NOAA Community Based Restoration Program to improve fish and wildlife habitat, and provide an aesthetically pleasing environment by removing trash and other debris from islands within the Indian River Lagoon.  Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

 

 

Chair Voltz advised of a letter from the Collier County Commission regarding a Resolution to the State requesting an amendment to the Florida Statutes to require election of Florida Water Management District Governing Board members rather than by Governor appointments; and inquired if the Board was interested in doing the same.  Commissioners Scarborough and Pritchard noted their interest.  Commissioner Carlson requested staff prepare a resolution in support and place it on a future agenda for discussion.

 

 

The TiCo Airport Authority Board members introduced themselves; in attendance is Vice Chairman Jerry Samson, Deputy Executive Director Michael Powell, Past Chairman and volunteer for ten years Jay Schenck, Ken Rivard, Ken Griffin, and Tim Pickles as Legal Council for the Airport Authority.

 

Mr. Samson noted his appreciation for the opportunity to meet and for appointing him to the position; stated elections were held at the Authority’s last board meeting; Mr. Larry Runyon was named Chair; and he was elected Vice Chairman.  He advised the Executive Director has accepted a position with the Amarillo Airport and will be leaving in a few days; Deputy Executive Director Michael Powell will be taking them through the presentation; and unfortunately, because of the date chosen for the meeting several members are out of the State and could not change their schedule.  Commissioner Carlson inquired who was missing; with Mr. Samson replying Mr. Runyon, Patricia Patch, and Veronica Clifford; and noted that is half of the Authority.  Chair Voltz noted her thanks for those attending and appreciation for the service they do. 

 

 

 

Deputy Executive Director Michael Powell advised he has put together a power point presentation to give a brief overview of the overall airport system, current projects, corporate terminal and future development, annual economic impact, and entertain any discussion folks may have.  He stated first he would like to highlight Arthur Dunn Airpark; it comprises 138 acres with 40,000 operations; an operation is simply a take off or landing; and its major uses are recreational flying, ultralight activity, and skydiving.  He noted it has the best turf runway in the State of Florida, of which they are very proud; there is a lot of tail dragger aircraft; and there is a very active Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) with a wealth of knowledge.  Chair Voltz inquired where is Arthur Dunn located; with Mr. Powell replying right off of Garden Street or S.R. 406 in Titusville.  He stated there are two runways at Arthur Dunn; one is 15-33; it is paved; and it is 3,000 feet by 70 feet wide.  He noted the other runway is 4-22 and it is the turf runway.  He presented a slide showing Arthur Dunn’s flight patterns; stated the flight patterns are based on what the current traffic is doing; it is a non-towered field; and pilots are responsible for their own position reporting.   

 

He stated the second airport to highlight is Merritt Island Airport; it is a very unique airfield environment; it is about the same amount of property as Arthur Dunn (140 acres) but roughly 110,000 operations; and it is very active with only one runway.  He noted the Authority is very proud of the Merritt Island Airport as well; it is 3,601 feet by 75 feet wide; and its major uses are recreational flying, aviation commercial businesses, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit is located on the field.  He advised it has a lot of folks that are nationally known; there is a large concentration of experimental builders; and it recently got the chance to showcase those folks at an aviation conference.  He presented a slide showing the flight patterns for the Merritt Island Airport.

 

He noted the next airport is the Space Coast Regional; the numbers of operations are shown on a timeline; operations dropped off quite a bit in 2001 due to September 11; and then Helicopter Adventures came on board and the numbers are back up.  He advised the most current numbers of operations is from 2005 and is almost 203,000; currently it is the 87^th busiest airport in the nation; the ranking is based on number of operations; and bigger airports move bigger aircrafts but not simple numbers.  He stated it gets quite a bit of corporate travelers, itinerant, and flight schools; the helicopter school only makes up a little  less  than  one  third  of  the  total

numbers; and the Authority is very proud of the facility as well.  Mr. Powell presented a slide showing bigger airports with their number of operations; and stated it is quite busy at the Space Coast Regional Airport.  He noted worth mentioning is fixed space operators on each side of the field to provide services to the users; there is TIX Jet Center on the east side which is north of the tower; there is the Space Coast Jet Center on the west side; and there is a very well known Restaurant called Outer Marker Café.  He advised the airport resides within the Foreign Trade Zone #136; it is only partially developed, leaving ample opportunities for growth; and currently it can handle commercial aircraft up to a 757.  He stated there are two runways; one is 18-36; it is a north-south runway which is 7,320 feet with an ILS approach to Runway 36; and the crosswind runway (9-27) is 5,000 feet in length and runs east-west.  He presented a slide that showed all the possible flight patterns for the facility; advised the Space Coast Regional Airport does tend to be a little more congested because of all the activity; it tends to be a little more three dimensional because of the helicopters; and the towers do a great job of keeping things safe. 

 

He advised there are a few on-airport projects for Arthur Dunn Airpark; one is that Holland Sheltair developed 38 new hanger units to help alleviate some of the wait list; it is going well; and another is the Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS).  He stated AWOS gives the pilots real-time and accurate flight weather information on the airfield; pilots can get density altitude, cloud heights, and things of that nature to help with their flight planning before take off; the rotating beacon project was just completed; and it is simply a green and white oscillating light to help pilots find the airport at night.

 

He noted the Merritt Island Airport has several projects either completed or still in the works; the north apron and taxiway B rehabilitation project is completed; the Sheriff’s hangar project is very close to completion; and it should be done by the end of the year.  He stated there is AWOS there; they have finished security lighting on the north side and plan to do the same on the south side to provide better illumination to protect the tenants’ assets; the rotating beacon project is there as well; and facilities have been worked into the long-term plan.

 

He stated at the Space Coast Regional Airport there is Aircraft Engine Services working on a new engine; the Airport acquired quite a bit of land out to the west; there is security enhancement projects happening at the location; and completed projects include east apron, landside signage, and rotating beacon.  

 

He advised in an effort to minimize the damage from future hurricanes and storms, hurricane and storm damage preventions are being put into place such as cane bolts installed on doorstops; the cane bolts are simply a very heavy gauge metal bolt installed on the bottom of the t-hangars; if there is significant wind as a compression factor this will ensure the doors do not blow off of the track; or if there is an up draft, it will prevent a possible lifting of the roof causing the door to possibly fall in on people’s property and their assets.  He stated the doorstops in conjunction with the cane bolts will better protect folks and their property at all three of the airports; the project is finished at Arthur Dunn and Space Coast; and there are some modifications at Merritt Island before total completion.

 

He noted the Corporate Terminal Project or the FBO Terminal Complex Project is going back and forth; but it will be a very nice facility; it will be a two story building with approximately 15,000 square feet; and the estimated cost is $4,625,000.  He stated 85% of the funding for the project is being provided by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA);  a  grant  was  obtained  from the USDA for damaged

projects due to the devastation that occurred two years ago; the project was slated to begin in fall of 2005 but should be commencing soon; and there were some construction project issues to work through such as right-of-ways but now all are resolved.  Mr. Powell advised the new facility will support operations by United Space Alliance, Astrotech, Space Port Florida, Boeing, Port Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, Lockheed Martin, and Sea Ray Boats; and he displayed slides showing the location of the facility on Space Coast Regional Airport, a terminal development plan broken down into phases, and a rendering of the land/parking lot side noting the windows are slightly different.

 

He stated Airport Authority staff is constantly looking to further develop and make the airports as economically viable as possible; they constantly look at projects such as making the land that was just acquired an aviation park; and he presented a slide titled Future Commercial and Industrial Park Development depicting recent acquisition of land that could be developed in the future. 

 

He noted there are a lot of direct and indirect costs associated with an airport; it is a wonderful economic generator; the Authority appreciates all of its customers, the corporate tenants, and the t-hangar tenants; and all of that has an impact.  He stated an example of that is Helicopter Adventures; they have upwards of 275 students at any given time; a lot of times they have foreign military that will come over as entire units or squadrons; and these people are staying in hotels, renting cars, going to the movies, and eating in restaurants.  He advised that certainly helps out in the local economy and the Authority is very appreciative of that. 

 

He displayed slides showing the total economic impact, broken down into direct and indirect impacts, for each Airport; stated Arthur Dunn Airpark’s overall impact to the local economy is $4,982,000; and advised he is willing to answer any questions the Commissioners may have.

 

Commissioner Colon inquired who the free money is coming from; with Mr. Powell replying the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  He advised it is worth mentioning that after the devastation from the storms in 2004, the USDA made available a total of $5,000,000; the Authority was able to acquire $1.25 million of that for the project; the funds were already allocated; and they simply wanted to keep it here for its users.

 

Commissioner Carlson noted the pie charts show indirect, direct, and induced; and inquired if induced is grant dollars.  Mr. Powell replied it is overall impact.  Mr. Samson advised direct is direct expenditures, indirect is the secondary and the companies that support those, and the induced is the third level of economic impact that is brought in from overall activity; it is not such that it is the supplier to the guy using the stuff; it is a little bit further down the road; but basically the induced is the rest of the stuff.  Commissioner Carlson stated it is like the external economic impact, external to the airport; with Mr. Samson responding yes; and a lot of the indirect is external to the airport itself but it all revolves around airport activity.

 

Chair Voltz noted she is moving onto the public speaking cards.

 

 

 

Charles Downing advised he is a long-time tenant at the Merritt Island Airport; the present Airport Authority members, with some exceptions, seem to be very uncooperative with the hangar  tenants  in  nearly  every  issue  that  arises;  there  is  an  atmosphere  of  distrust   and

disrespect; and tenants  cannot  get  answers  to  their  questions  or  help  from the Authority when needed.  He noted tenants contract the rent on the hangars and expect them to be reasonably maintained but yet very little maintenance is performed; however an unneeded multi-million dollar terminal building will get the dollars that could be used to keep the rust from falling on the planes.  He stated the Airport Authority is not trying to aid general aviation around Merritt Island; and discussed down gates being replaced by fence, being bad neighbors to surrounding businesses, and Aerocomp Company not treated as a valuable asset to the airport.

 

 

 

Howard Swerbilow advised he is a lawyer in Merritt Island; he has taken a look at the enabling legislation that created the TiCo Airport Authority; the only way it can be changed is to ask the State Legislatures to redraft the legislation creating TiCo Airport Authority or abolish it because it is not responsive; and the members do whatever they want.  He noted some of the County Commissioners have appointed TiCo Authority members who are not responsive to aviation tenants; he does not know who they are responsive to; the members have upset the Board enough to want to take away the Ad Valorem money; but in reality it will hurt the tenants when the rent is raised to pay for all the projects the Authority has started that are unnecessary.  He requested the Board please go to the State Legislatures and rein the members in.

 

 

 

Tony Yacono advised he is President of the Brevard Aviation Association, the Safety Chairman, the Young Eagles Coordinator, and he represents the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) at the airport; he has been at the airport since it first started; the Brevard Aviation Association was started in 1988; and through the years it became somewhat inactive.  He noted because of the bits and pieces of information that filtered down from the tenants and the businesses at the three airports, such as discrimination, harassment, lack of operation, and lack of cooperation by the Authority, the Association felt the necessity to reorganize in April of 2005; the Association began to investigate the items; it found many of them to be true; and the tenants were discussing all of this rather freely amongst themselves and others.  He stated the Authority and staff is in complete charge and have made it known to the tenants; the BAA reviewed several documents such as enabling legislation, rules and regulations, as well as the standard operations for airports and tenants; many things that were wrong came to the surface; and not only previous items referred to, but also selective enforcement and spot policy making.  He advised the Authority feels that it can do as it pleases; it has no one to answer to; it feels it is invincible and can do no wrong; and he commented on safety being compromised, wasting of money, the Airport being $1,000,000 in debt, grants producing no money for the airports, and entities on the airport hiring attorneys or leaving the airports. He stated the general aviation airports need to generate monies by getting aviation related businesses to each of the three airports; the Association knows of at least two of these entities that would not come to any airports in Brevard County because of the negative attitude of the Authority; and unless something is changed general aviation will not continue as it is and flying kids will not have a place to fly.   

 

 

Jerry Trachtman stated he is an attorney representing Valiant Air Command (VAC) and Space Coast Jet Center;  he has represented in the past Gryphon Group,  another tenant who has  had issues with the Authority; he is here to be constructive; and something is broken and it has to be fixed.  He noted the problems cannot be fixed until the Board knows what the problems are; he will address the problems his clients have had; he is an aviation person; and he soloed in 1971 at TiCo Airport.  He advised the bulk of his practice is aviation related; he is board certified by the Florida Bar in aviation law; he is the current Chairman of the Florida Bar Aviation Law Certification Committee, which tests lawyers who want to be certified in aviation law and conducts the peer review; and he has been dealing with airports, airplanes, and aviation issues for thirty years this month.  He stated he has never seen anyone at any airport have the problems that his clients have had at the TiCo Airport with this Authority; instead of being a symbiotic type relationship it is strictly an adversarial relationship with the tenants; the VAC has been in existence since the mid 1970’s and started in a trailer at the TiCo Airport; and everyone thinks of the annual air show but it is more than that.  He advised a museum has been constructed; but when the museum got built and the initial expenditure by the VAC was in excess of $700,000 to an improvement that the Authority owns, the lease provided that the money for the improvement bought the museum the first 20 years of the lease; it provided for each additional expenditure in the amount of approximately $166,500 and there would be a five year option; and so it would be a 40-year lease if VAC continued to improve the property.  He noted the Authority knew the benefit the VAC brings to the community not only with the museum, but with the annual air show and the dollars that come in from the air show; the dollars do not go to the VAC, but to the community; this Authority wrote a provision in the lease requiring the VAC to have an air show every year; and if the VAC does not have the air show they are in breach of the lease. He stated earlier Airport Authorities gave money to the VAC to help support the air show, recognizing the benefit it brought; this Authority charges the VAC for the privilege of putting on the air show every year; the VAC does not make money at the air show to pay for it; and the bill for 2006 still has not been paid because it does not have the money due to the fact it is not a high budget organization.  He noted that is an example of the relationship that exists; VAC had to file a lawsuit against the Airport Authority to enforce the lease even though it spent an excess of $1,000,000, in addition to the first $700,000 which would have bought four five-year extensions, because the Authority said that bought one five-year extension; and it did settle to the satisfaction of both parties and is not a pending lawsuit.  He advised the Airport Authority has done everything it can do to make putting on the air show more difficult such as cutting the time to set up the field for the air show from one week to three days, charging for one or two Airport Authority representatives to sit there and watch the air show, and charging for a man to drive a van and take all the airplanes from the museum hangar to the other side of the field for $35 an hour, which amounts to thousands of dollars in additional expense. He noted the air show does not make money for the VAC, it makes money for the community and it is treated as if it is an enemy.

 

Mr. Trachtman advised Space Coast Jet Center came into the Airport in August of 2004; the Airport Authority did not take long to accuse the Center of being in default of the lease; there seems to be selective enforcement where tenants on the field seem to get different treatment than other tenants on the field; and cited several examples.  He stated the Center was claimed to be in breach of the Contract because it was not complying with the FBO (Fixed Based Operator) hours to open at 7:00 a.m. even though the TiCo Jet Center, another FBO on the field, advertised 8:00 a.m. and was not accused of default of the lease; another time the Center was accused of being in breach of the Contract for having a boat in the hangar when there have been boats in other hangars on the airport for years; the Center met with the Authority to try to work it out and be in compliance but wanted fair and equal treatment; and the Authority agreed and sent out letters to the other hangar tenants with boats to have the boats  removed  but  only

after the complaint had been made.  He noted he was interested to hear all the money the Airport  Authority  got  for hurricane damages because one of the large hangars occupied by the

Space Coast Jet Center has been missing two roof panels since the hurricanes; it is two years later and has not been repaired yet; the Authority continues to tell them that they are on the list; and the Center is still paying the same amount for the space that leaks water every time it rains.  He stated the Authority has created an adversarial atmosphere, there is favoritism of tenants, and is not conducive to the generation of business at the airport. 

 

 

Lloyd Morris stated he is Commander of the Valiant Air Command War Bird Museum; he has been Commander for more than 5 years; and introduced the Board of Directors.  The Board acknowledged Bud Evans, Frank Pound, Hal Larkin, Marilyn Bettencourt, Bob Frasier, and Ken Terry.  Mr. Morris advised the Valiant Air Command (VAC) is coming up on its 30^th air show; it will be his 10^th; it is an extreme amount of work; and they start 60 days after the air show preparing for the next year.  He stated the work is done by volunteers; the C-47 had a tragic accident four years ago and it raised over $200,000 to restore the aircraft without asking the Authority for anything; and there is something very wrong here.  He noted the VAC is out over $15,000 in Attorneys fees; that is a lot of money; it works very hard to put on an air show that makes $25,000 - $30,000; and that helps to pay the mortgage during the four slow months of the year.  He advised the average is 50-75 people a day; 20 percent of that is the local population and the rest is out of State and foreign countries; there is a membership of over 850 people; and 200-300 of that is from Brevard with the rest being across the U.S., Canada, and five different foreign countries.  He noted the VAC does a lot for the community and does not ask for a lot in return; and invited everyone to attend the Open House on November 4, 5, and 6, 2006.

 

 

Don Runaas advised he has all the same issues and concerns as the previous speakers; he compares the situation to a communist nation where there is a central committee that makes all kinds of decisions and spends all kinds of monies but are unaccountable to anybody; he has heard many different people say it is free money, it is only 10%, or it is only 20%; but the government is not in the business of making money; and instead it comes from the taxpayers.  He stated he is a taxpayer and he resents the way the Authority is spending his money; he has also heard it said by the Authority that it does not need some of the projects being done but if it does not get the grant now it might not get it in the future; he disagrees with that because the technology might be different in the future; and if one does not need something then one should not get something.  He noted it seems like the Authority operates a lot on if; to go out for grant money just because it is available does not seem like the prudent thing to do; a previous Executive Director told him if he did not like the way things were being done he should pull $10 million out of his pocket and go build his own airport; and all of these issues fall under proper airport management.  He advised the airport has a five year plan; it is between ten and fifteen years old now; he has reviewed it and it looks like a pretty good plan; but nothing on it has been completed.  He stated the Authority is spending lots of money and not following a plan; now it is talking about getting a new five-year plan made up at a considerable expense; but it is not following the one it has and it is a good plan.  He requested the County Commissioners petition the State to do away with the Airport Authority. 

 

Don Stiver noted he is a retired military pilot and a Merritt Island Airport hangar tenant; he is a happy tenant but also a concerned one; his purpose is to try to convince the Board to resolve some of the issues that form the basis of his concerns; and the issue is the demonstrated performance of the TiCo Airport Authority.  He stated the three concerns that form the basis of that issue are business practices, accountability, and respect; every single business has a long range business plan covering five years; there is usually a one year operating plan that gets vetted each year; and with that comes specific metrics and quarterly reviews to gauge progression.  He advised there is a dated master plan for Merritt Island Airport; it is probably ten years old; he has reviewed it and it is a good plan; but it has never been followed.  He noted there has never been an implementing plan to implement the master plan; the Airport Authority has never followed up with it or reviewed it to grade the staff and faculty; and along with a master plan there should be a concept for the purpose of the airport.  He stated the master plan mentioned bringing economic benefit to the community; but a speaker spoke of one of the past regimes fencing off one of the companies that provide jobs and tax base for the County; each year hangar rents go up and the standard reason why is CPI; and he is a businessman and a defense contractor and if he raised the price of his products because of CPI he would be fired.  He advised CPI is Bureau Labor and Statistics Index based on a market basket of everything from funerals to food; he hopes that the airport is not running off of a CPI; he does not know who the Authority is accountable to; but everyone knows that if there is no accountability people will do what they please.  He noted the Authority is not accountable to taxpayers, the tenants, or the voters; all of the people here would not have taken their own time or the Commissioners’ time if they were getting the respect they demand; there are 150 tenants and 300 taxpayers saying something is wrong; and he hopes it gets fixed.

 

 

 

Richard Todd advised he is representing Servant Air Ministries, Inc.; it is a faith-based Christian organization on the field; his initial issue was to present to the Board the fact that they are having difficulty with the chain of command with the Authority resolving what seemed to be minimum financial problems; and he had a damaged hangar door that took a very long time to get fixed and when it was fixed they were charged rent for it.  He stated he is an experimental flight test engineer with the Boeing Company; he has 45 years of aviation experience; 25 of those years have been at this airport; and he has heard every speaker say the same words over and over such as reign in, control, adversarial attitude and relationship, accountability, and respect.  He noted he has been on this field full-time almost every day for the last two years since his retirement; the maintenance group on the field is exceptional; he would like to thank Mr. Powell for his presentation; and he thought it was well received and well thought out.  He advised there are certain Authority members who do work toward bettering relationships with the general aviation crowd; the general aviation crowd does provide support for the economy in the area; and he hopes the relationship will continue to improve with the change in management.

 

 

Annette Benson advised over the last two and a half years she has struggled to maintain a business and employ Americans; at every turn she has had problems with the previous Executive Director; she did not know how to deal with the situation; and that is why she hired Attorney Jerry Trachtman.   She  stated  she  knows how to run a business,  how to treat people

right, and how to help students learn to fly airplanes; but she does not know how to deal with the unreasonable demands from the Authority.

 

 

Tom Mason stated he is not a member of any group yet; he has been living on Merritt Island since 1974; he has flown for a living for 39 years with five of those years for the Navy and the remaining for the airlines; and he knows it is off topic but feels Brevard County has allowed the destruction of pleasure boating in the area.  He advised the same lack of care, understanding, or knowledge is adversely affecting general aviation in the County; over 20 years ago he kept a small aircraft at Merritt Island Airport; at that time the airport needed more hangars but they did not get them; and he sold the aircraft.  He stated he now owns another aircraft, and has asked to be placed on a list for a hangar; he was told there was a waiting list for Dunn Airpark, Space Coast Jet Center, and Merritt Island; he was also told that at the Merritt Island Airport he was number 110 on the waiting list; and this is ridiculous when there is the space but no hangars for the community.  He noted he has decided to rent a hangar in North Carolina and spend his money there; he has also, along with most of his 1,200 waterfront residents in Sykes Creek, sold his boats; there has been hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars spent by the Airport Authority; and there has been very little return for the money to the County.  He advised if the County built only 100 extra hangars there would probably be an income for the County of $30,000 a month; that is almost $400,000 a year; and he understands 80% of the hangars get paid for by government grants.

 

 

 

Chair Voltz recognized State Representative Ralph Poppell’s arrival; and noted her thanks for him attending.

 

 

* State Representative Ralph Poppell’s presence was noted at this time.

 

 

 

Francis Herr advised he is in the new town of Grant/Valkaria; he has been a pilot for four years and been up in the air a lot; he has seen and landed at a lot of airports; and inquired how many of the Commissioners have driven around these airports.  He stated he was shocked, amazed, and stupefied on his first ground visit to Merritt Island; he thinks it is terrible; as he drove around the airport he noticed many things; and he is from Iowa and thinks some of the hangars could compete with the outhouses he remembers back home.  He advised many of the buildings are not safe for humans or aircraft; there are a lot of fencing repairs needed; the grass the hangars are on was higher than the door opening on his car; and he figured it was just a bad day but he went back a week and a half later and the grass still had not been mowed.  He noted obviously no one cares about the hangars, the appearance, or the tenants; Valkaria’s change is dramatic in the last year and a half; it is mowed, cleaned up, fencing fixed, and has a very cooperative manager; and the seven people who are running the Authority should go and look at what a real airport manager can do.  He advised Valkaria is on a shoestring budget and trying for grant money; the presentation from Mr. Powell showed no timeline; he has no idea when things were completed, whether it was one year ago or ten;  and  he  requested the Authority members drive

around the airports, compare budgets, and see what is really being done with the taxpayers’ dollars to make improvements and a community friendly, as well as user-friendly airport.

 

 

Sandra Clinger noted she is speaking from a different perspective; she was glad to hear some of the other speakers mention the community impact; the reach of the Airport Authority’s impact goes well beyond the bounds of the airport; and she lives in Windover Farms.  She stated her neighborhood is right along S.R. 407 and very close to the Space Coast Airport; she had a difficult experience with the past Executive Director regarding Helicopter Adventures; when the helicopter school was coming into the area her neighborhood was very concerned; and Mr. Carr came to the community and made a presentation giving assurances that the helicopters would not be flying over the community.  She noted he said the helicopters would stay along S.R. 407 and go out over the St. Johns River; that has not come to be the case; she sees helicopters over her property on a routine basis; and she realizes the helicopter school is good for the economy, but the noise of the helicopters added to the noise from the gun plant makes her feel like she is in a sound track for a war movie.  She advised she lives on nine acres in a large-lot, rural community and this negatively impacts her quality of life; she has nothing against the airport; she has flown out of Dunn, TiCo, and Merritt Island Airports; and she is not opposed to the airport, but commitments were made to her community that have not been lived up to.  She noted to see the planned expansion for future and industrial activity coming closer to her community brings additional concern; and she hopes in the future there is consideration for the cumulative impact to the surrounding communities, not just the economy. 

 

 

Roger Molitor advised he owns an airplane and flies over 200 hours a year out of TiCo Airport due to his business, Construction Imports, which imports wood molding and distributes it throughout the Southeast United States; the airport is very important to him; his company employs a lot of people that bring money to this community; and this many people did not show up to complain about the way the airport is being run unless there really is a problem.  He noted it is obviously time for a change; something has to be done; he has all the same complaints everyone else has said; and one of his hangars was blown down by the hurricanes in 2004 and it is still has no doors.  He stated he finds this unbelievable; he cannot believe that the manager of the airport has not fixed those doors in two years; $300 a month has gone by for two years; and there are seven or eight hangars like that.  He advised it is time for new management; maybe the Authority is out of touch with pilots and do not understand what it takes to run an airport that is user-friendly;  no one knows aviation better than pilots; and they are the ones that are at the airport everyday.  He stated he is petitioning the County Commissioners to do whatever it has to do with the State to disband this Authority; set up an Authority that is put into power by the pilots, where the pilots or the tenants vote on the Authority members; or come up with some voting mechanism that gives the tenants and pilots input; and he has been before the Authority in the past and has asked for things to be changed and it becomes very adversarial.  He noted this is not just with him; he has heard it from 15 to 20 other people so far; something is wrong; and requested the Board please do what it takes to fix it.  He further noted if one always does what it always has done, it will always get what it has always gotten; that scares him; and if something does not change, these meetings will continue to happen.

 

 

Tomas Lares stated he is there as a concerned citizen; he is not connected to any group or entity; there needs to be open and better communication; and everything needs to be done with respect and mainly accountability.  He requested the Commissioners listen to both sides; obviously there is a problem; and there needs to be accountability.

 

 

TiCo Airport Authority Vice Chairman Jerry Samson advised a TiCo Airport Authority Board member has arrived.  Veronica Clifford introduced herself; and apologized for her late arrival.  Chair Voltz noted her appreciation for her attendance.

 

 

Tommy Redmond noted accountability should always fall at the County Commissioners’ doorstep; over the past 12 years he has served on numerous boards for this County; he served proudly and did his service with respect, understanding, and communication; and he presently serves on the Valkaria Airport Board thanks to the Commissioners’ appointment.  He stated he does so because he truly believes in the County and wants to give it his best; if the Commissioners are not happy with someone they should have the right to pull that person from service; and unfortunately, with the Authority, it does not have that power and he wonders why.  He advised this has been going on for over a year and he is frustrated; he believes in what the Gryphon Group does and cannot believe they are being harassed; it is being done because the Authority believes the Gryphon Group is not the military, only trains the military; and he feels that if the company is good enough to get a Contract with the United States Defense it is good enough for Brevard.  He stated he knows everyone around the table wants to do the right thing but sometimes it gets cloudy; the airports are not doing good because people come from all over to eat in a restaurant; the airports are doing good because they are training the young men and women of the military to protect this Country; and it should be respected.  He advised it was the Gryphon Group issue that started his interest but as the year went on he realized how upset the residents and pilots are; there is a problem and it needs to be solved; and requested the Commissioners petition the Governor to allow them to remove Authority members when necessary.  He stated it is dangerous to not have that power because there is MSTU money involved; he was told this airport was started for the military and now it is harassing the military; it wants to be a community airport but it harasses the community that uses it; and requested the Commissioners support the Country and the community by doing the right thing.  He noted everyone wants accountability, understanding, and respect; the people here tonight should not go home thinking there is no recourse; the current policy is not protecting the tenants or the brave young men and women; and this is a great County that can send people into outer space.  He requested the Commissioners do the right thing and protect its people. 

 

 

 

Michael Vaden advised he is the owner of Gryphon Group Security Solutions; the headquarters are located in Melbourne, Florida; the company is five years old and has over 35 employees; and Gryphon’s sole mission and purpose is to provide specialized combat training to all four branches of U.S. Military as well as federal agencies involved in the global war on terrorism.  He

stated the training has been solidly documented as saving numerous lives of the men and women serving the Country in harms way around the world; it has trained over 5,000 people and is currently training about 2,000 a year; one of the training facilities is located at the Titusville/Cocoa Airport; and for almost five years Gryphon has leased a 1,000-foot dilapidated taxi-way.  He noted it was not being utilized for air operations at TiCo, and was not serviceable and in very bad condition; the area around Taxi-way F was not being maintained by TiCo and there are no plans in the immediate future to develop it; the only use and income from this area for the last five years and in the next two years is from Gryphon Group; and there is no running water, septic tank, sewer, or electricity.  He advised Gryphon is not allowed to have any permanent buildings and must remove everything from the area when the lease expires; TiCo has never repaired the taxi-way in five years or even cut the grass; by the end of the current lease in December in 2008, Gryphon Group will have paid the Titusville/Cocoa Airport $229,903 for this undeveloped area that they did not maintain or service; and yet the Executive Director and the Titusville/Cocoa Airport Authority Board (TCAA) have treated Gryphon as second class citizens and as a nuisance while happily taking the money.  He stated he thought Gryphon Group were the only ones being treated poorly until he began to hear this very same story from many of the other pilots and tenants, as well as citizens that surround the airport; after informing the Authority several times in writing of the actions of the Executive Director and asking them to act, it became clear that the Authority no longer functions; being ordinary citizens who are not wealthy or influential, the only option was to turn to elected officials for help; and he began courtesy-copying all five County Commissioners, the County Manager, the City of Titusville Manager, the TCAA legal council, and the attorney he was forced to hire to respond to the efforts by the TCAA against his company.  He noted that is when the campaign of threats and intimidation began by TCAA against him, as well as other tenants who were speaking out, and even some present Authority members who disagreed with the leadership of the Authority and the Executive Director; he thanks the County Commissioners for holding this series of workshops on the problems associated with Authority; he believes the investigations will find three things; and one is a pattern of behavior and decision making by the current Authority Executive Director that is characterized by misinformation and retaliation towards the majority of the TiCo tenants and Brevard County residents surrounding the Airport.  He advised the second is an Airport Authority which has allowed one tenant to dominate the operations and priorities of TiCo in order to secure a grant and other funds for development plans to the detriment of other Brevard County citizens, businesses, and tenants located on TiCo Airport; three is an Airport Authority board which is dominated by one or two personalities and has not provided the appropriate oversight on the actions and decisions of the Executive Director which is in their mandate to do; he believes it is appropriate for the Board of County Commissioners to review these allegations as many of the Authority members were appointed by Brevard County Commissioners; and the Authority over the years, have received millions of Brevard County taxpayer dollars.  He stated he also believes that the Board has not acted before now because of an effective campaign by the Authority and the airport to prevent this type of information from reaching elected officials so it may take action; he apologizes for being late; the training went to 5:30 p.m.; he drove nine hours from Fort Bragg to appear before the Commissioners because it is that important an issue; and it is not a Gryphon Group issue but a Brevard County citizen’s issue and the Board is the only hope.

 

 

Curt Lorenc advised he is a resident of Valkaria; he spent a lot of time trying to find out what the meeting was about; it was not clear what was going to be discussed; and it serves a good public purpose when one knows what is going to be discussed and can hear  both  sides  of  an  issue.  He noted he is hearing mainly from the pilots; it is important to clearly hear both sides in order to make an informed decision; he heard comments about disbanding the Airport Authority and possibly having the Board oversee the airports; and he has been before the Board many times regarding Valkaria.  He advised one airport seems to tax the Board to a great deal; he cannot imagine all the airports being brought before the Board; he thinks the pilots will spend the entire day before the Board trying to discuss its issues; and airports run by the County are not that much different.  He stated there are complaints about Valkaria Airport also; one of the speakers complained about one hundred people on the waiting list at TiCo, but the wait list is just as long at Valkaria; he pulled the lease folder on Gryphon Group and there are legitimate issues that the Board should see; and the Board needs to hear from both sides to make an informed decision.

 

 

 

Milo Zonka stated he has been before the Board many times to talk about Valkaria Airport; he serves as the Chairman of the Valkaria Advisory Board; he is a self-professed airport geek and representing himself tonight; and this is a passion of his.  He noted it has been an interesting experience to learn more about the TiCo board over the last several years; this is a small community of aviators and business people so it is unavoidable that the issue would reach from North County down to South County, and all the way through and in between; the important thing is that a lot of different constituents are involved and all of them are having some sort of trouble with the TCAA; and he has researched some options for the Board to consider.  He advised there are over 130 airports in the State of Florida; only 26 operate as Airport Authorities or as separate districts; about 20% of that number is created by local ordinance; and of that number only two live on Ad Valorem taxes.  He stated this is one of them and the other is Saint Augustine; Saint Augustine lives on Ad Valorem taxes because its largest employer is at the airport; had a plan been put into place sometime ago, there would not be an issue with the Ad Valorem taxes; and a few different Airport Authority ideas exist in the County.  He advised one is where the County Commissioners are the Authority; the second is like Melbourne where a separate board does the airport decision making but Melbourne still has final prevue; the third is like TiCo, which is a dependent district of the County that makes its own decisions but has to come before the Board to discuss Ad Valorem taxes and before the citizens to discuss bonds; and those are the three models.  He noted he cannot say which works better than another because everything is unique; the accountability factor keeps coming back to him; he sent a letter to the Authority in June regarding the large amount of money going out but no revenue coming in; and he received two phone calls from Authority members wanting to know where he got his information from instead of the issue at hand.  He stated this is probably one of the issues that lead into a Code of Ethics that is currently on the table being considered by the TCAA; one of the issues in the Code of Ethics is to take a minority member who does not agree with the majority and stifle their opinion and punish them if they disagree; one cannot operate like that; and Congress does not operate like that.  He inquired why the Authority is allowed to operate like that.  He advised there is a strong majority that has been sitting on TCAA for a while that is operating in strange ways; people are all starting to complain; unfortunately, the Commissioners cannot take action to do something about it besides to notify the legislative liaisons to have the State Legislature disband the Airport Authority; and he strongly urges the Commissioners to do so.  He requested the Board come up with a plan that works and represents all parties; noted there are so many better ways to do this; the one thing that concerns him the most in talking to a couple of the Legislators in the County, is that the retired Chairman and the departing Executive Director were petitioning to have TiCo created as an independent operating authority;  and the only thing that being independent would do is give the

TCAA the ability to set its own Ad Valorem.   He stated that is the only thing that would change;  there  might  be some issues with insurance and those types of things; but he believes what is really going on is TCAA wants to set its own Ad Valorem rates; the rate in the District right now is 0.0155%; and by Legislation it can go up to 0.5%.  He advised that is a $200,000 Ad Valorem that could be over a $6 million Ad Valorem by the choosing of the seven people; and requested the Board please not let that happen.

 

 

*The meeting recessed at 7:15 p.m. and reconvened at 7:30 p.m.

 

 

 

Chair Voltz suggested due to time constraints, the big topics could be addressed tonight and some of the other issues could be addressed in writing by TCAA.

 

Vice Chairman Jerry Samson noted many people have put a lot of things on the table and would like somebody to deal with them; to attempt to go through the list and respond to everyone’s concerns, questions, and comments would be far too long; and he suggested Deputy Executive Director Michael Powell get a tape of the meeting and categorize the comments into past issues and current issues to resolve.  He advised the TCAA is in the process of looking for a new Executive Director; the allegations toward the previous Executive Director are not valid since he is no longer here; the operational issues such as mowing, fencing, or t-hangar doors will be looked into to see what needs to be done to resolve it; and he is not saying that everything that was said tonight is correct.  He stated he thinks the consensus is that it is the pilots versus the Authority; all of the Authority members, with the exception of one, are pilots; and it is not an issue of the Airport Authority versus the pilots.  He advised the issues regarding policies will also be handled; it will be put on an agenda to be discussed at an Authority meeting; and he will attempt to answer any questions the Board may have.

 

Chair Voltz requested the Board get a copy of all of the issues raised, along with Mr. Powell’s response so it can see how everything is handled; with Mr. Samson replying absolutely; he would be glad to provide the Board with a copy of the matrix that Mr. Powell puts together; the Authority Board wants to handle the well-founded concerns; and hopefully everyone can get above and beyond the personality issues.   

 

Commissioner Carlson inquired how long Mr. Powell has been with the Airport Authority; with Mr. Powell responding for about a year and eight months; and prior to that he was with the Daytona Beach International Airport.  Commissioner Carlson stated she was curious to see how much background he had with all of the issues that had been brought up; and inquired if he had anything to add regarding all that was heard, based on his relationship with the Executive Director.  Mr. Powell replied the only thing that he would add, based on his experience and exposure, is that a lot of the issues seem to be stemmed at one particular time where the Airport Authority staff was reduced to basically just the Executive Director, maintenance staff, and the accountant; it was very difficult to get out and address some very simple needs that honestly should have been addressed; simple operational issues or maintenance issues that were gone unanswered because someone could not get in touch with anyone, escalated to a point of contention that became very hard to resolve even after the physical act was done; and one of the things Mr. Carr did was bring on a staff to help with a lot of the issues.  He noted when he first came on board, one of the things that he did was look at getting into compliance with where the Authority was and what it needed regarding manuals; after that he hired an operations staff where one of the main functions was to simply get out with the folks and find out what the issues were; there were some areas that had been neglected; and the staff was there to help address issues and offer any services it could to the valued tenants.  He advised he personally goes to the airports and speaks with the people; a majority of the problems can be handled right on site; if it is an issue like cutting the grass, a lot of times if there was an extended rain, it was still saturated in the lower parts; and safety issues can occur especially if it is in close proximity to a runway.  He stated there have also been equipment issues; the biggest problem that he has noticed is staffing issues; there are a lot of tenants and all are very appreciated; and it is just a matter of having the staff to get out there and take care of the needs.

 

Commissioner Carlson inquired if the Airport is fully staffed now; with Mr. Powell replying no.  Commissioner Carlson inquired what is lacking in terms of operations other than an Executive Director; with Mr. Powell responding operations is one person short but because of budget constraints the position will not be filled, and one person short in development and planning.  He noted he does all the training and writes the manuals for new hires prior to going out on the airfield to ensure all the requirements have been met and people have the proper knowledge and training; he will physically go out there to make up the shortfall because it gives him the opportunity to speak with the folks and find out what it is lacking; and although the Airport is short-staffed he will start a running list, prioritize it, and hopefully get resolution for the folks as quickly as possible.  Commissioner Carlson inquired how many staff members does he have to run the airport; with Mr. Powell replying if the airport was fully-staffed there would be 15 staff people and three part-time; and currently he has 12 on staff and one part-time. 

 

TCAA member Veronica Clifford noted the Authority members are appointed by Commissioners; one member is appointed by the City of Titusville; there has been significant change-over on the Authority; and she inquired why did the public not come forward when all the changes were going on.  She stated the Authority members do not get paid for the position; she does not have a gain or a loss out of holding the position; if there are any problems with her as a member please bring it forward; and all three of her phone numbers are available and if she can help she will.  She advised she has been the one pushing for hangars; she did not support the Code of Ethics that was mentioned; she and Ken Rivard were the only two to vote against Mr. Carr staying until December; and all of this is public record.  She noted the Airport is short-staffed; she has been saying it needs to be lean; a lot of the time she gets voted against; and she made it a point to go out and meet the tenants.  She advised she would have loved to attend the fly-in that just happened recently but unfortunately she was volunteering at Imperial Estates for a festival from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. plus two soccer games at the Chain-of-Lakes; the members are volunteers and are doing the best they can; the Commissioners appoint the positions therefore the public should give suggestions to the Commissioners on who to appoint; and Jerry Samson and Ken Griffith are both new.  She stated Jay Schenck is the longest time in position; Patty Patch is the only one appointed by the City; there are three County Commissioners that do the appointments; and the taxes come from the three areas.  She noted maybe the facts have been overlooked or the public might not know, but she feels it is very important to cover; she would like to give facts on how the members have voted on certain items; she went to meet Gryphon Group and voted on a three-year Contract for them; and the members are bringing the Code of Ethics back up again and she feels it is ridiculous.  She stated she does not feel it is fair to say the TiCo Airport Authority because the problems lie with individuals. 

 

Commissioner Pritchard stated when he came into office he asked for the resignations of his two appointees and they refused him;  it  took  him  three  years  before he was able to make his

appointed changes;  he  is  very  proud  of  the people he has on the Authority;  and he encourages both of them to stay on the Authority for the full term.  He stated he hopes that Mr. Griffin will take that to heart; he chose Mr. Griffin because he is a qualified pilot, an educated man, and has a lot to offer the TiCo Board; and requested Mr. Griffin keep that in consideration when making his decision over the course of the next week or two.  He advised the issue is accountability; if it was not accountability, there would not be all of the people here; he has heard that same thing for the last four years; and he appreciates Ms. Clifford’s positioning on the voting that she has taken, but it is obvious the majority of the Authority does not feel that way.  He noted the issue keeps coming back again and again; when the Board decided to have the workshop people questioned him as to why; he replied because he is forever hearing he said, she said; and it is time to air the differences so everyone knows who is saying what and why.  He advised nothing has changed since 2003; the comments are all the same; things have not changed; and it is still all the same problems.  He stated a comment was made quite a while ago about putting the fox in charge of the henhouse; the illusion was that the tenants were the fox; tenants should not be in a position of power to regulate the amount of rent;  but no tenant has ever said that.  He noted he has heard the tenants say they wanted equity, repair, and a fair shake; the tenants do not mind paying whatever the necessary cost would be; if one is paying for something, one should get something in return; and many of the tenants are still awaiting hurricane repairs from two years ago while still paying full rent for a hangar they can only use part of.  He advised it does not make good sense; apparently there are a couple of strong personalities running TiCo; and that is not the way a shop is run.  He stated every one of the TiCo members should be able to place items on the agenda, voice an opinion, speak outwardly, and be heard; every other member on the Authority should support that; it is accountability; and tonight is only the first step.  He noted the TiCo Authority made an offer to review all of the issues that were raised; and inquired what is the timeline to resolve the issues and how will they be resolved.  He advised he is interested in hearing a plan rather than smoke.  

 

Vice Chairman Jerry Samson stated given that there was not much of an agenda tonight, it would have been premature to formulate a plan before all the comments were heard and discussed; a timeline will be laid out to accomplish everything; people know him well enough to know that he is not interested in dragging things out; and he is interested in making things happen.  He noted as Ms. Clifford mentioned, six of the seven of the Airport Authority members are appointed by the Commissioners; three of the six members are up next summer and the other three are up the summer after that; it is not a very long time-frame; and even though it may be a three-year term, everyone is into terms.  He advised within a year, the Commissioners will have the opportunity to change out half of the Authority if it does not like where it is going, and within two years change out the rest; that is a lot of accountability; it is more accountability than in most appointed, and certainly more than elected, situations; and there is the opportunity for the Commissioners to see the members perform and make changes if necessary. 

 

Commissioner Colon expressed her appreciation to the Authority members that attended; stated she does read the minutes of the Authority’s meetings; and she did see the comments members said about attending.  She noted it is not easy; it is volunteer work; the Authority has made some very good changes; and sometimes people do not like other people’s style.  She commended everyone for attending and speaking out.  She noted she cannot believe the TiCo Authority has not received the letters of complaints from tenants and residents; and read aloud excerpts from some of the letters.  She advised that is what is so upsetting; all the letters were copied to the TiCo Authority members; she expected the members to do something; and the Commissioners have been trying to meet with the Authority since May.  She expressed her appreciation to State Representative Ralph Poppell for attending; noted Representative Bob Allen had also wanted to attend;  the letters of complaint are not just from one group;  and  there

are letters from tenants, residents, pilots, elected officials from surrounding  municipalities, and County employees.  She noted one of the issues that continues to be brought up is the lack of respect; that mentality was allowed to breed and that is very sad; people are angry at the Commissioners because they feel it is responsible; and she wants to ensure everyone that it has been trying to meet with the Authority.  She stated there are some new people; she encourages them to meet with the tenants and the 45 residents that sent in petitions; and the frustration level is so high, it saddens her. She stated she was threatened by friends of the TiCo members; and the quote was, “Commissioner Colon, I care about you so let me go ahead and tell you that you need to mind your own business and you really need to worry about the south end of the County.  Don’t you have better things to do?  You don’t want to wrestle with pigs in the mud because the pigs like it.”  She noted to threaten a member of the Board of County Commissioners is really sad; she does not want to give names but if she is pushed, she will; this shows her exactly how tenants, pilots, peers, and everybody is treated; and she experienced it first hand.  She advised she is excited over the new members; she is looking forward to good things happening at the airport; she expects good things to happen; and she assures everyone that she will not forget about this.  She stated if it comes to a vote from the Commissioners, she is expecting to not reappoint anyone who is a part of the past regime; do not bother to apply because she will not reinstate if changes do not occur; she looks to see the glass half-full; and she liked what Veronica said about the Code of Conduct.  She noted this is America; people are sacrificing their lives to be able to have the freedom of speech; she could not believe what she was reading in the Code of Conduct; and the only way people will feel they have been listened to is if by tomorrow action is taken.  She advised members need to go out and meet with the tenants; remember there are two sides to every story; do not just listen to airport staff; and Commissioners know to listen to County staff and constituents.  She stated in every story there is his side, her side, and the truth; members have to do their homework; if someone feels it is too much, for the sake of the citizens of Brevard County, please say so and allow someone else to step up; and she realizes it is asking a lot from volunteers.  She noted many of the members have full-time jobs; as of today, she holds each member accountable because the residents expect it; she hopes members reevaluate their positions; and it is a very serious position.  She stated she looks forward to the changes that are going to be coming; what has been allowed to happen in the last couple of years is no longer acceptable; she advised Brevard County is a beautiful Community and she will not allow someone to be prohibited from speaking for fear of retaliation; and the retaliation existed.  She noted several examples of the retaliation were heard tonight; many others were too afraid to speak; no one should ever feel as though they cannot speak; and for everyone who showed up she commends them on their bravery. 

 

Chair Voltz advised she believes the problem has been that herself and Commissioner Colon have not had an opportunity to vote on any of the TCAA members; the entire Board has not had the opportunity to vote; each individual Commissioner votes and the rest of the Board does not get a say in who gets appointed; and it is an issue that she does not know how to deal with unless it goes through the State.  She stated the entire Board should be given the opportunity to vote on members; if Commissioner Pritchard has a member he wants to appoint, he appoints it and nobody else has the opportunity to say yay or nay; and while each individual Commissioner does appoint someone, herself and Commissioner Colon have no say whatsoever. 

 

Commissioner Scarborough noted it is more than that; it is the way it takes place; the County Attorney gave the opinion that Commissioners did not, unlike any other appointments, have any say; and each Commissioner has its own individual appointments.  He advised it is not a vote; it is very unique; the reason why Titusville has an appointment is because two of the airports lie within the jurisdiction of Titusville;  and the last time the act was changed Titusville felt since two

of the airports lie within their jurisdiction they should have one of the appointments, and Legislature responded. 

 

Chair Voltz stated she feels it is important that all Commissioners have a voice in appointments due to the fact that it cannot un-appoint someone for several years.  Commissioner Carlson noted she agrees; the way the law is written there is no recourse if the appointment is not working out; and a Commissioner can ask for someone’s resignation but that does not mean it will happen as Commissioner Pritchard found out.  Commissioner Carlson requested a plan of action from the TiCo Authority in matrix form with a plan of action listed for each issue; and she stated it would help the Commissioners understand where TiCo was going and what it plans to do about things.

 

TiCo Airport Authority member Ms. Clifford advised she will not remember all the comments; she apologizes for jumping in her seat and interrupting; but she is trying to write everything down.  She noted there are three Commissioners who do appointments; Commissioner Pritchard gets to appoint two, Commissioner Carlson gets to appoint two, Commissioner Scarborough appoints one, and one is appointed by the City of Titusville; but she believes on the tax side it comes from those three Districts, which is probably why Legislation did it that way.  She advised there are only two current members who were able to vote on putting Mr. Carr in the Executive Director position; Ms. Patch was one and the record shows her voting against it; and it is important for people to realize that.  She stated people are being very vague by saying the TiCo Authority board; it is unjust; she wants to make sure people know the facts; and she was very upset by the stuff surrounding the audits.  She noted it was almost implied that she was pocketing money; she spends money doing the job; she does not get a gain or a loss; and the County Commissioners review and approve it.  She advised one of the comments that bothered her the most was the misappropriation of funds; she takes that to mean she has done something wrong and she takes that seriously; she brought the audit company in to go through it; and she requested special reports, income statements, and balance sheets to be reviewed in a proper fashion.  She stated the insurance money did not come in so unfortunately the Airport could not do repairs; but repairs have always been on her list; people can listen to the tapes of the meetings; and another thing on her list has always been hangars.  She noted people have to realize a grant is for something specific; she has been pushing for hangars; she came up with a plan to help finance 50%; but there are tenants who do not want the hangar rent raised. She has two planes; she pays for two hangars; she honestly feels the rent should be increased; and she always says balance it and be lean at the meetings because that is what a small business would do. 

 

TiCo Airport Authority Board member Ken Rivard noted he was sitting in the audience at the Authority meetings for years; he made comments to the Authority because he was at odds with the way money was being spent; he is still at odds with it; and requested people check his voting record to see what he votes against and what he votes for.   He stated the Authority has spent money on projects that produced no revenue; it spent one half of a million dollars on a waterline to a hangar that does not exist; and the Authority was told to do it because it would cost more money in the future.  He advised the master plan was not followed at TiCo Airport; the west side of the Airport called for 60 hangars to be built; the Authority leased out six acres of land to a company and is collecting $1,275 a month in rent on it; and the Authority spent $180,000 to put a waterline to that building which caused the airport to be annexed into the City of Titusville.  He advised that was about three or four years ago; when it got annexed into the City of Titusville there were a lot more expensive regulations to go along with it; his position has been clear on the Authority; and obviously he has been at odds with the majority of the members.  He noted the ethics thing was probably aimed at him;  some  members  tried to keep

him from being appointed to the Authority but it did not work; he is going to continue to watch out for the taxpayers’ dollars; and the way the Authority runs needs to be changed.  He advised the Board to ask more questions; stated he is criticized when he talks to the FAA about grant money; the Authority just accepted a grant to build hangars on the east side of the TiCo Airport that will cost a half of a million dollars in dirt work to build 10 hangars; but on the west side of the airport there is a huge unused blacktop where a lot of hangars could be put without the dirt cost.  He stated this is his position; there are seven members and he is only one vote; he would like to see things change on the Authority; and the three Commissioners appoint the six members and together they appoint one enlarged member.  He noted he has talked to most of the Board and even Representative Poppell about the way money is being spent and what is being produced; he does not think there is enough bang for the buck; he spoke against the terminal that is being built both as an Authority member and as part of the audience; and it is $4.6 million for a 15,000 square-foot building.  He stated that is over $300 a square foot and the Authority owns the land; the TiCo Airport master plan was a couple hundred grand eight or nine years ago; it is now spending another $200,000 on a new master plan that has been in the mill for three years; but it never followed the old plan.  He advised the old plan never addressed a terminal, the forecast, or the economic benefit; the helicopters are about 160,000 operations; he goes to and is known at all the airports; and he gets along with everyone.  He noted he has been told staff has been instructed not to talk to Airport Authority members or tenants but instead to take pictures and write letters; and it is just not a good environment.

 

Chair Voltz stated the way the Board works is that everyone speaks freely; everything is open for discussion and can be brought up at any time by anyone at the Commissioners’ meetings; everyone may not agree on the topic but it is a point of discussion; and that is really the way all boards should work.  She noted a board should discuss and vote on things together; she has never seen a heated discussion amongst Commissioners; everyone needs to respect one another; and if one does not respect fellow board members and their opinions, one should not sit on the board.  She advised if there is no respect, no one will get along, and nothing will get accomplished. 

 

TiCo Airport Authority Board member Ken Griffin advised the new Authority is good and will work out with the changes that are being made; he has had a hangar at the Merritt Island Airport since 1992; in 2002, he was part of a group of tenants who did a lot of work regarding rents; and the group put together a survey throughout the State of Florida and even met with Representative Poppell, Commissioner Pritchard, and the Chairman and the Director of the TiCo Airport Authority Board at that time, to discuss the hangar rents but nothing came out of it.  He noted the problem might have been the previous Executive Director’s vision; the best way to make money at the airport and get off the tax rolls is to build hangars, especially since there is a waiting list of 200 people; that is not what the Authority has been doing; and he was honored when Commissioner Pritchard invited him to join the Authority.  He stated he sees strong possibilities of getting stuff done; but the Authority needs to change its vision.

 

Chair Voltz noted Valkaria has had a master plan for many years that included a terminal, commercial, night lights, and flights; but it was not what the community wanted; Valkaria is changing its vision and the master plan; and if the community’s vision is different, the master plan must change accordingly.  She stated she would like to see some issues resolved; she would like to see if there is any way possible to change the type of appointments that are going to be made or unmade as the case may be; those are the two issues that a lot of people want to see happen; and responsiveness, accountability, and respect have to be there.  She advised she is glad the meeting happened;  she  knows  everyone  was  able to get a lot off their chests;

and the Board has provided the opportunity for the Authority to listen and hear the issues that are out there.

 

Commissioner Colon noted she was told that on the Authority’s next agenda it says they will be discussing becoming an Independent District; and inquired if this was suggested by one of the Authority members.  Vice Chairman Jerry Samson replied the Authority will be discussing governance issues and whether or not with the current set up there should be any recommendations for change; but nothing in particular; a member asked that this issue be discussed and so it is being put on the agenda to discuss it; but there is no particular outcome to be discussed.  He noted it was an issue brought up at the end of the last meeting; he suggested it be put on the agenda for the next meeting; and it is an issue the Authority has discussed before.  Commissioner Colon inquired if the Authority directed the Chair and the Executive Director to meet with the Delegation to lobby for an Independent District; with Mr. Samson replying not that he is aware of.  Commissioner Colon stated the reason she is asking that question is because that is what happened; and people from the Delegation called the Board to let them know that is what was going on.  Mr. Samson replied if something like that was being done without Authority direction it is a significant policy implication that should not have happened; that is not what individual Authority members should be discussing with policy makers; and that is a guaranteed way to make things explode.

 

Commissioner Carlson advised she is looking for conclusions; the Board is asking the Authority for a matrix that lays out a course of action; and inquired what is the timeline for that to come back before the Board.  Mr. Sampson responded there would need to be Authority Board meetings to discuss it and decide when it could be done by; and the Authority is also hiring a new Executive Director who will need to be involved in making the decision since he/she will be implementing it.  Chair Voltz clarified the Board is looking for a timeline such as 30, 60, or 90 days; not the matrix itself.  Commissioner Carlson replied that is correct; she knows there is a new Executive Director that is going to come on board; obviously the Authority will need to quantify and qualify the issues that were just presented; but the Authority is the holders of the vision, not the executive director.  Mr. Sampson replied part of the matrix will be an implementation schedule.  Commissioner Carlson advised it may not have to be that much; and she is talking about a timeline to give the community. 

 

TiCo Airport Authority Board member Veronica Clifford advised the Authority is very short staffed; she would like to put the ball back in the Commissioners’ court since it has a larger staff; and inquired if the Board could write down the issues it wants addressed.  She noted many of the issues have already been addressed; the Authority has worked on the grants; and it has been a major issue for the Authority.  Mr. Sampson responded the problem is Mr. Powell will have to be on the phone telling the County staff what the status of these things are so it really will not save any time.  Commissioner Carlson replied if she was on the Authority she would define a working group that includes some of the folks present tonight, since they are the ones who are complaining, and have them come together and do the work.  Mrs. Clifford responded that is a good idea but she would still like to see what the Commissioners think the issues are; there have been many things brought up and the word issue is a general term; and she would like to see specifics from the Board about exactly what issues it wants addressed.  Chair Voltz advised Mrs. Clifford missed the first part of the meeting where everybody was talking; that is where the majority of the issues came up; the speakers clearly outlined where the problems were; and Mrs. Clifford should get a copy of the tape to watch.

 

Mrs. Clifford noted she has a few more items to address; she lives in Windover Farms and has no problems with the noise or  helicopters and neither do her friends in the neighborhood;  there

are 1,000 homes in the neighborhood and only 45 complained; and all sides need to be looked at.  She stated Mr. Sampson supported the Code of Ethics that the Authority was trying to pass; one of the conditions on the Code of Ethics was that she could not talk to the Board of County Commissioners or State Representatives before first going before the Authority; and she feels that is crazy.  She noted the issue of becoming an Independent District has been an issue for quite a while; last year when it showed up on an agenda she contacted every member of the Delegation to answer questions; another question is whether or not the Authority is Dependent or Independent when it is no longer getting tax money; and she believes that it could come up with a five-year plan to get off of the County tax rolls.

 

TiCo Airport Authority Board member Ken Rivard advised it is doing a master plan on TiCo Airport; inquired if the Board thought it was a good idea to have public hearings on each chapter like it did at Valkaria Airport; and stated it is not currently doing that and he has requested to but he is only one vote.  He stated the vision that the Authority has for the Space Coast Airport needs to change.

 

Commissioner Pritchard inquired what is the timeline; with Mr. Sampson replying what does the Board want.  Commissioner Pritchard stated 60 days is a reasonable amount of time for the Authority to come back with an idea on how to resolve the issues brought up, having discussed it at Authority meetings, gotten community involvement, and provided direction to the Interim Director.  Mr. Sampson noted that timeline would have no input from the new Executive Director.  Chair Voltz advised 60 days runs into Christmas and suggested 90 or 120 days would be better.  Mr. Sampson replied a first draft could be produced in 90 days. 

 

Commissioner Pritchard stated there is a white paper presented by Milo Zonka titled “Starting from Scratch, Rationale for the Dissolution of the Titusville/Cocoa Airport Authority”; it has a lot of good information in it; and suggested the Authority bring it under consideration and discussion at its next meeting. 

 

State Representative Ralph Poppell advised he has been a pilot for a long time; he has owned several airplanes, has quite a few ratings, and several thousand hours; he is familiar with airports; and three of the airports are in his District.  He noted it was a good meeting; he compares this situation to halftime at a football game; he does not necessarily want to change the team but does want to give them a good talking to; and hopefully the message that is being sent motivates everyone to go out and win the game.   He advised when talking about appointing and dismissing people, he hopes it would be for reasons like ethics and morals and not simply because opinions differ; however it can adopt some rules until things are running smooth again such as not approving any project unless it is unanimous; before any decisions are made he would like for the Authority to review everything thoroughly; and everyone is taking away a lot more than what they brought to the meeting. 

 

Chair Voltz expressed her thanks to Representative Poppell for attending; stated it was a great analogy and that is exactly where they are; there is a lot of work to be done; and the Commissioners will be there to support them.

 

Mr. Rivard advised the website at TiCo is tough to keep up to date; there are six minutes of meetings not posted; and inquired if there is a way they could partner with the County’s webmaster.  Chair Voltz responded she thinks it could be done; and staff will look into it.

 

 

 

Motion by Commissioner Carlson, seconded by Commissioner Pritchard, to recess as the Board of County Commissioners and convene as the Governing Board of the Brevard Mosquito Control District.  Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

 

 

Motion by Commissioner Carlson, seconded by Commissioner Pritchard, to authorize advertising and scheduling of an executive session for October 31, 2006, at 11:30 a.m. or as soon thereafter as possible, to discuss strategy related to litigation regarding Blasky v. Brevard Mosquito Control District.  Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

 

 

Motion by Commissioner Pritchard, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to adjourn as the Governing Board of the Brevard Mosquito Control District and reconvene as the Board of County Commissioners.  Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

 

 

Upon motion and vote, the meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.

 

 

 

 

ATTEST:                                                                                                                                

                                                                                    HELEN VOLTZ, CHAIR

                                                                                    BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

                                                                                    BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

SCOTT ELLIS, CLERK

 

           (S E A L)