Trying to quash airport rumors is like trying to unring a bell.

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm

Reporter - News Analyst

March 2, 2017 1:00 a.m.

There is always much talk in the Fernandina Beach community regarding the costs and benefits of various public improvements. The term “alternative facts” has come into vogue over the past few weeks on the national scene as a means to explain positions unsupported by evidence. Sadly, there are some “alternative facts,” or fables, swirling around city decisions and decision makers who are trying once more to grapple with many city projects and problems of long standing.

We recently published a lengthy history of city efforts since the mid 1970’s to open the Alachua rail crossing to ease travel to and from the waterfront. This time we are tackling airport myths and facts.

We thank Fernandina Beach City Manager Dale Martin, Airport Advisory Commission Chair Sam Lane, 8 Flags Aviation FBO President Brian Echard, and Passero Associates Vice President and Director of Airport Services  Andrew Holesko for contributing to this article. 

Myth 1: The city airport does not need a terminal or welcome center.

Existing buildings that serve the flying public are inadequate or out of date. Currently, the city’s airport operations staff is housed in a mobile trailer.

Fernandina Beach Airport Operations Center

City Manager Dale Martin provided the following information from the City’s 2015 Airport Master Plan Update, a plan that was developed by a 30-member committee and approved unanimously by the Fernandina Beach City Commission (FBCC):

5.4.1 General Aviation Terminal A general aviation terminal provides space for offices, waiting area, flight planning, concessions, storage, and other amenities for pilots and passengers. General aviation terminals also provide the first and last impression of the airport and local area that pilots and passengers experience.

The existing 3,200 square foot terminal building is undersized for the current and future level of traffic. However, as identified previously in this report plans exist to develop a new freestanding terminal building and airport welcome center. This project, which is anticipated to be completed by 2020, will be sized to appropriately accommodate levels of traffic throughout the planning period while at the same time creating a new front door for the Airport and creating additional revenue opportunities for the City.

Fernandina Beach City Manager Dale Martin

Martin went on to state that ours is the only northeast Florida airport without a facility built within 5-10 years that can withstand a reasonably strong storm (hurricane) and serve as an operational asset following the storm to facilitate response and recovery efforts.

According to Martin, “The level of aircraft demand and operations at the airport, plus the economic importance of the airport to the community, is not consistent with the existing operational building. A newly constructed building will more accurately reflect the airport’s role as well as serve as an appropriate representation of the city, Amelia Island, and Nassau County.”

Brian Echard, President of 8 Flags Aviation (8FA), wrote:

“The primary purpose of this facility is to service the arriving and departing aircraft, as well as those aircraft based at FHB [Fernandina Beach’s municipal airport]. The secondary purpose of the terminal is to provide a substantial building to serve as a recovery center in the days after a natural disaster. The terminal will be built to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds. The business and marketing plan for 8FA is designed around the Corsair theme and I believe it will complement the services and amenities that will be offered by the new FBO. “

For those unfamiliar with the term, a fixed-base operator (FBO) is a commercial entity granted the right by an airport to provide to the public aeronautical services such as fueling, maintenance, storage, ground and flight instruction and similar services.

Currently, McGill Aviation serves as the city’s FBO in its own building. To better understand its role, visit their website http://mcgillaviation.com.

McGill Aviation FBO building at Fernandina Beach Airport.

Myth 2: Use of the term “welcome center” is intended to mask the real purpose of the building as a “terminal” to serve commercial airline flights.

This myth has gone around the community several times over the years and has been debunked each time. The Federal Aviation Administration’s official term for the building is a “terminal.” But because this term caused fear and heartburn in the community among those who anticipated scheduled, commercial airline service, the city decided several years ago to substitute the term “welcome center” for a building that would house airport operations, the FBO, exhibits, educational and public areas.

City Manager Martin emphasized that the Fernandina Beach airport is not currently providing commercial service and cannot become a commercial airport such as those in Jacksonville or St. Augustine for many reasons. Andrew Holesko, project manager for Passero Associates, the city’s airport consultant, explains why this cannot happen:

ALL of the conditions below would need to be met (CS is shorthand for commercial service):

• The current Airport Master Plan neither lists nor supports it. (And CS airport “role” would therefore be inconsistent with local, state and federal airport system plans)
• Airport security system would not meet CS requirements, as the gates-fencing-access control that encompasses the entire airport boundary meet general aviation standards, not CS standards.
• No TSA passenger screening area, and no TSA baggage screening or baggage hold room (and none planned in the proposed building).
• No Federal Aviation Regulation Part 139 “Airport Certification Manual” (or ACM) exists, or planned. FAR Part 139 is the federal governments tool to inspect (and allow) an airport to provide CS operations. Without it, CS cannot be planned or accommodated.
• No basic instrumentation (instrument approach procedures) needed by an airline.
• The proximity (closeness) of an efficient, professional, modern CS airport (in JIA). (i.e., JIA is so close, the CS operations in Fernandina do not make “economic sense” to an air carrier / airline.)

Myth 3: No one ever asked the public for input on the plan to build a terminal/Welcome Center at the municipal airport.

Talk about building an airport welcome center goes back a decade or more. The city took up the most recent attempt in 2016, with the formation of a committee to develop a concept for the building. The Welcome Center Committee was charged “to provide a preliminary visual reference of the size, basic operations and general appearance of the proposed Welcome Center. This task will result in a more formal plan for the specific building location, size, interior plan,

AAC Chair Sam Lane updates FBCC on airport improvements.

exterior elevations, utilities, ground access and parking, security systems budget and financial plan.” There were 6 members of the committee representing the city, airport operations and tenants: Chair Marshall McCrary (Community Development Director), Bobby Kozakoff (Airport Operations), Airport Advisory Committee Chair Sam Lane, 8 Flags Aviation President Brian Echard, Tom Piscitello (airport tenant), and Parks and Recreation Department Director Nan Voit. McCrary replaced Adrienne Burke, who initially chaired the committee, when she left city employment. Vice Mayor Len Kreger also attended the meetings.

According to AAC Chair Sam Lane, the committee met four times, and each meeting was publicly noticed. There were official agendas prepared and distributed, as well as meeting minutes.

Following the committee’s June 10, 2016 meeting, conceptual plans were presented to the Fernandina Beach City Commission in a noticed public meeting. Commissioners approved the plans unanimously. [See http://fernandinaobserver.org/2016/06/22/fernandina-beach-airport-welcome-center-concept-takes-off/]

The designs, including concept graphics, have been presented to the City Commission at least 6 times. The public has had several opportunities to weigh in on the design of the welcome center.

Myth 4: Passero Associates, the city’s airport consultant, runs the airport and makes all the decisions regarding fuel prices, runways and new construction.

Passero Vice President and Director of Airport Services Andrew Holesko

Passero Associates (http://www.passero.com) has been the city of Fernandina Beach’s airport consultant for 17 years. Their contract has been renewed multiple times by various commissions. In their role as consultant, Passero through its project manager Andrew Holesko, produces information on which the city, which operates the airport, can make decisions. The airport manager, city manager and city commission may task Passero with various jobs—such as researching grants, engineering airport improvements or designing facilities. However, it is up to managers and/or the commission to make decisions, after also considering input from the Airport Advisory Commission, which is composed of citizens appointed by the FBCC.

Passero provides professional, technical services to the City in 3 primary areas:

• Airport planning (airfield, terminal, financial, environmental, CIP and accompanying technical reports, correspondence, etc.) specifically identified in Work Orders presented to the City Commission for review and approval.
• Airport engineering / architectural design, permitting and bidding-phase services.
• Construction-phase, project administration and inspection/on-site observation of grant-funded construction work to provide assurance (required by grant covenants) to City, FDOT and FAA.
• Note 1: The FDOT and FAA “require” all airport project sponsors (i.e., the City) that receive grant funding to meet current standards in airport planning, design and construction.
• Note 2: All project assignments (scope and fee) are reviewed as “fair and reasonable” by FDOT and FAA processes (from the offices that approve and provide the grant funding).

Passero does not:

• Manage the airport, or airport operations.
• Select or assign construction contractors. The City has specific procurement procedures that direct those processes.
• Have any form of monthly, recurring retainer with the City.
• Charge the City any recurring fee for services that are not specifically in items 1-3, above.
• Charge the City to attend committee, commission or special meetings. (12-25+ per year). Passero is not aware of any other consultant in FL that does not charge for such service.
• Charge the City to attend FDOT annual safety inspections or follow-on actions and corrective measures to FDOT inspections.
• Charge the City to support the City (technically) with other on-airport inspections, such as pre-inspection of the SVRA special event and post-inspection (for damage to airport) after SVRA event.

Myth 5: Passero drove the design that was finally approved by the city commission.

Passero’s team initially provided the Design Committee (see Myth 3 above) with more conventional options (see below).

Option A considered and rejected by design team

Option B considered and rejected by design team.

However, the committee wanted to see a design that was more distinctive. Apparently the FBCC agreed, because at its June 21, 2016 Regular Meeting it unanimously approved the current design, inspired by the Navy F4U Corsair, which flew out of the airport in the 1940’s.

Conceptual rendering of proposed Fernandina Beach Airport Welcome Center approved by City Commission at June 21 meeting.

Eight Flags Aviation FBO President Brian Echard commented: “The unique design of the FBO showcases the role that the Fernandina airport played in WWII, and honors the history of the U.S. Navy pilots and the Corsair aircraft. Most pilots recognize the significant role that this aircraft played in World War II, and are extremely pleased that this building will honor those who served."

Myth 6: Taxpayers will have to foot the multi-million dollar bill for the proposed airport welcome center. 

City Manager Dale Martin writes: “City officials have regularly indicated that no General Fund monies will be used for the terminal construction, but that assertion is repeatedly misconstrued. General Fund revenues are generated from local property taxes for the purposes of municipal government operations. Airport Fund revenues do not come from the General Fund but from other non-tax sources: Federal Aviation Administration and Florida Department of Transportation grants (which are funded through Federal and State aviation-related fees and charges that are paid, likely unknown, by every airline passenger) and other Fernandina Beach Airport revenues such as hangar rents, fuel sales, facility use agreements, and ground leases. … If a Fernandina Beach resident has no financial interest or activity at the Airport (or on associated Airport property), that resident will not be contributing to the funding of the terminal.”

Source: approved FY2016-2017 City Budget

Myth 7: The cost to build the terminal is $5-6M.

The airport improvement project includes many components other than the welcome center, estimated at $2.4-2.6M. The Airport Advisory Commission and Passero Associates initially looked at the need for one building. But the city then appointed a specific committee (see Myth 3 above) that recommended an expanded project to include a public use meeting room and educational components.

Following the opening of construction bids in March, the scope of the project will be finalized, considering funding allocations from FAA and FDOT grants, airport enterprise funds, private funds and any other non-tax revenues that might be available.

The city website www.fbfl.us advertises the project as Bid ITB 17-02. Deadline for response is March 8, 2017.   The scope of the project as advertised is reproduced below:

In his most recent update to the FBCC, AAC Chair Sam Lane advised the FBCC to be prepared to "sharpen their pencils" with respect to trimming or modifying project aspects to fall within the project budget.

Myth 8: The welcome center will not benefit the city or city residents.

According to City Manager Dale Martin, “Additional economic development is a key component for the future of the airport, and the new facility will provide better access and aesthetics to support economic development.”

The new terminal and adjacent building will be located outside but connected to the airport’s secure area. This means that any member of the public will be able to access business areas, public meeting spaces and educational exhibits. Public access will be similar to other city facilities such as marina and golf course facilities.

Myth 9: The Fixed Base Operator will be in a building separate from airport operations.

Currently that is the case, but it will not be so in the future. Airport operations today runs out of a mobile trailer, while McGill Aviation, the Fixed Base Operator (FBO) has its own, separate building. One of the goals of the new terminal is to collocate the FBO and airport operations in one facility.

Brian Echard, 8 Flags Aviation FBO president

In 2018, 8 Flags Aviation will become the city’s FBO. Brian Echard, 8 Flags Aviation President told the Fernandina Observer, “The City decided early on during this process that a portion of the terminal building would be used for a Fixed Base Operator and would generate revenue for the Airport. Therefore, the FBO will pay rent on approximately 60% of the building, which comprises the FBO’s leasehold. The remaining 40% of the building will be used for the airport administration offices and public meeting space.”

At a recent FBCC meeting, AAC Chair Sam Lane updated the commission on the status of the terminal. During his briefing he advised that 8 Flags Aviation is looking to invest their own funds in upgrading interior improvements to the new building, with city approval. City Manager Dale Martin also reports that the city is talking with Echard about using his financial contribution along with money from the existing airport fund (no taxpayer money) as a match to leverage additional FAA and FDOT grant money.

Myth 10: The city is looking at terminating the lease of the Amelia River Golf Course to subsidize the costs of the new airport projects.

There is no connection between the two activities. The current leaseholders have been attempting to market the lease for a couple of years. The city has only recently gotten involved in working to buy back the lease.

Editor's Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne's many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.