Lakeville City Council — Transcript
6 Topics in This Document
Aircraft Noise Assessment and Measurement
Lakeville Lions Club Flying Breakfast and Panaprog Event
Runway Project Delay and Road Paving Decision
Radio Frequency Change for New Richmond Airport
Airport Shop Construction and Facility Improvements
Tenant Frustration Over Road Infrastructure and MAC Communication
▸Full Extraction
“Sound in general refers to the actual physical phenomenon of vibrations. It's a physical energy which can be sensed by the human ear traveling through a medium such as air or water. Now noise is a sound that is unwanted or temporary.”
“The difference there with noise is that it can be very subjective from one person to the other on what whether a sound is annoying or not. Um so that's something uh important to consider when we talk about noise, especially aircraft noise.”
“If I'm in downtown Minneapolis and I'm going to a Twins game and it's in the middle of a busy day, there's lots of car traffic, train traffic, people hustling and bustling. Um, an airplane flies overhead. Um, any of those sounds I might feel as though they're appropriate for where I'm at in that environment. It's a very urban, busy environment. If I'm in my backyard, however, let's say in Apple Valley, and it's a nice quiet neighborhood, and I'm trying to enjoy the scenery and listen to bird song, and an airplane flies over, I might have a different response to that noise based on where I'm at.”
“If we were to double the amount of airport operations at Air Lake on average, if we were to average that out, that would only be a three decibel increase um versus we wouldn't actually be doubling the uh energy level.”
“The DNL metric while it does do a good job of describing cumulative noise impacts over uh a given period especially over a year or or a given period of time. It doesn't do a good job of describing frequency um and the frequency of those operations. So you can have one aircraft that's very loud versus 100 aircraft that aren't as loud um but have the same uh outcome.”
“The Lakeville Lions Club is part of uh a larger Lions Club International and it's an organization renowned for its commitment to humanitarian service and community enrichment. The Lakeville Lions Club embodies that values and principles of its parent organization striving to make a difference in the lives of individuals in the Lakeville community and beyond.”
“We did about 2,200 volunteer shifts last year and we served and touched the lives of 51,000 people throughout that year. And in the middle of that, we raised some money and we donated back over $366,000 in our last fiscal year, which is a record year for us doing that.”
“Adam uh basically uh through his graciousness doesn't charge the lines for the use of facilities. And what that enables us to do is feed all the the kids with their parents under four for free. So he's basically with his uh uh small rental rate for the facility that day has allowed us to feed uh over 350 kids every year. And that would have cost families $3,500 retail if they had to feed those kids.”
“We work with them him on on safety issues. Um we have a list that's very long that we go through. You know, it started out we were just lions making pancakes in a building. And when we really about 8 years ago, we figured out no, this is a Lion's event and we are involved in all aspects of making sure that it's a safe environment for everybody out at the airport and we lean heavily on the MAC to ensure that we're doing all the right things as an organization because uh you know, one thing bad happens and it's no good for anybody.”
“Working together as as a as a group and and the MAC along with uh Adam out there and the FBO, they're always working to make sure that we're putting on the best show possible for the people that come out and see it. And a lot of people, this is the only time they'll see aviation in Lakeville and what's out there. And and the idea is that they're not scared of the airport and that it's a very positive experience. And year after year, these kids light up when they see these uh planes running and coming by.”
“A couple months ago uh, the the MAC decided that we were not able to do the roadway project this year and uh, that's 225th paving that road. It's about a half mile from Cedar to the South airport entrance. Um, honestly really really unfortunate that uh we we had to break the news to Adam and the group and the and the city. But uh for for a few reasons uh it was decided that we were not able to do that this year. Um, one being that we we did separate the road from the bud from the the the runway reconstruction and extension project uh in order to try to get it done, but due to some uh progressing and and positive communications with the pipeline companies, we felt like the the actual full project was too close in proximity to do in the road that we might, you know, the costbenefit analysis of doing the current place of the road and paving it just to have to demolish that road when when the road when 225th is relocated with the full project.”
“I definitely apologize you had to hear through rumor, but um as soon as I knew that it was a fact that we wouldn't be doing the road, um I contacted you uh via phone. So, um, somebody at the airport that that found out about it, uh, actually started discussing it a little premature because at the time that it was first decided that we might might not be doing the road, we still had directors and vice president levels fighting to still keep the project on the books.”
“As far as the the deadlines, you know, or the estimates on when we can get the done or the the project done, we can only go off of historical time periods of how long it should take for different studies and different planning elements to get completed to start construction. And there obviously has been huge delays and unforcasted delays. And it's hard to uh for I think for anybody to wrap our heads around initially how long this pipeline roadblock would have taken us, but um I can guarantee you the the MAC has not stepped our foot off the gas on on trying to get the project done.”
“We are definitely leaning toward selecting the 123 05 frequency as a as a change and that would be effective um if it all goes through as planned. Uh October 2nd would be the changeover date. Um, but as far as the the data being getting into the spring and the summer here and seeing active operations as opposed to last year when we kind of evaluated it during the winter, um, you know, the data is showing that we'll be able to uh kind of have a better frequency on on sharing with Redwing as opposed to New Richmond.”
“Well, that'll be a good change if it comes past because it's definitely crowded on 123. That's that's not a good safety issue, right?”
“It' be similar to the last time I laid that out. Um, you know, in addition to newsletters, we'd also have proper notice to airmen uh issued when that change does get made, as well as, uh, a verbal message on the automated weather for the airport. Um, additional signage on the ground on the access roads to the airport and, uh, flyers in the FBO and in in the vault restroom. just as many ways as possible to try to get it out.”
“We've been under construction at our airport shop since uh middle of April. And uh we do have a target completion date of the first week of July. Um but just uh you know reiterate the the positive change there is that we actually have a environmentally friendly and um a building with proper HVAC for our uh employees that work in the winter and the summer there and uh proper sleeping quarters for when they have to stay overnight for one to three or four days through winter storms.”
“I've now been told since 2020 that I'm going to have a road. Okay. I was assured as recently as April 18th by the MAC that the road was still happening this year and it actually had to come to me through rumors that it was cancelled and I honestly that that really doesn't make me happy. Okay. Um we have tenants on the south side all right that are driving down a muddy road. I mean it's it's horrible. If you go out there today, it is just a slap pit. I have two people here in the in the audience right now that are going to be opening a restaurant with me. Okay, we could be putting business out there. There could be additional tax revenue for the MAC. Okay, you could have tenants that are happy. I don't like hearing that Lake Elmo's design. You know, you say, "Well, we don't want to put a road in because it's two years." Well, that's two years of impact on my business and then everybody that's out at that airport.”
“I'm required to have pavement. I'm required to have a paved parking lot by the MAC and I have to drive down a damn dirt road. So, I personally feel very let down.”
“I mean, the EA chapter's putting a new building in and they're going to have to drive down a darn dirt road for the next couple years, too. I put $6 million into that building with assurances that we were going to have a road. I don't know why it's okay for you guys to make assurances to us and then just say two years. Two years.”
“I've been biting my tongue a little bit, but you had mentioned the uh environmental impact study. That's another year out. Excuse my voice. Um I think that's like five years we've been talking about that. So to Adam's point, there there never seems to be a date certain. And Sam, it's not a personal thing with you. It's a MAC issue, but the runway extension was on the books. Everything was on hold for the negotiations with the pipeline uh folks, environmental impact. At one board meeting, I said, "If the individual doing the environmental impact can't get it done, fire that person and get someone else to do it." So I think there's general frustration with um just the process of Mac.”
“You you say it's dependent upon the FAA. I'm an airport manager in Bedet. All right. I'm very familiar with the policies and the procedures and how all of this gets done. Okay. I also know that there was assurances made to us that you guys were going to fund this and pay for it yourself. You were not going to wait for the runway project. Now you say, "Well, the runway project could happen in two years. Just wait two more years." Okay. After you gave us assurances in 2020, the reason the runway project was delayed was because of COVID. It wasn't because of pipelines. Okay. We found out late that the pipelines were even an issue. All right. We found out at the Air Lake Airport Advisory Committee meeting last year that the pipelines were the issue. Okay. We were told that the environmental had already started and it hadn't. So, the information that we're getting is not been accurate. You guys have done a horrible job communicating. Okay? And you've made promises that you haven't kept. That's the worst part. And it has nothing to do with the FAA. Don't give me that excuse. It's not the FAA isn't making promises to me. The MAC has.”
“Because if I can't speak to that today. I what I what I have said is that I will take back these comments and concerns uh to the MAC. But uh as of today, the roadway uh paving project has decided to be back included uh and paired with that runway project because the road will have to be demolished. And because we're close in now to when we anticipate that uh runway project to start, uh that's the decision was made. But uh I the comments and frustration uh have been very clear. So um I'm happy to bring those back. Would you be willing to meet me at my hanger after this meeting and drive down the road? Maybe you could take a little bit of the road with you.”
“Um I with all due respect, Adam's put a lot uh into this and I admire him for that. I think it's a lot broader than just Adam's business. If these gentlemen want to put up a restaurant in there, if more clients want to come out, it's really a strangle hold on the community. It's not just Adam's business. I mean, there's a lot of potential customers that I think are not being served and a lot of people that could have uh a nice dinner experience out there. So, it's more than uh just one FBO's success. I think it's a lot broader impact to the city of Lakeville.”
“I'd like to reiterate what Dan just said. Um that was similar comment was uh on my mind as well and you know as an airport user and someone who you you know works at the Fleming airport which is not a MAC airport and someone who uses other airports around the Twin Cities uh we see projects going on at the majority of these other airports that are taking place and I do not see the same level of activity from the MAC in improvements at the air airport and that's uh spoken as someone who's been there for 20 years. Pat, you've been there longer and I I really would like to see, you know, Adam has put up a wonderful building, a wonderful facility to help grow our community at Lakeville and uh the usefulness of that airport for the Lakeville community. I'd like to see Max support him.”
“Yes. And unfortunately, um, that's kind of the status quo with the FAA right now. There's a million, uh, things going on with the FAA and and many different requests on a number of different issues. And sometimes they respond quickly, sometimes they take a long time and it's totally outside of our control.”