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COUNTY AIRPORT ISSUES and NEWS

Update on Airport Public Advisory Committee
(APAC) Vacancies - 2008

The Airport Public Advisory Committee (APAC) is designed to provide a real and visible link between the mid-coast communities, the airport manager and the County.  The nine-seat committee was specifically tasked to facilitate airport communications flow, to and from local communities and citizens, as well as provide aviation, environmental and business advice for airport management.  Committee members are appointed to the nine seats, with staggered terms.   The terms for the District #2 seat (representing Cushing, Friendship, St. George, Thomaston, Warren and Criehaven), the Nearby Citizen seat (Owls Head and South Thomaston) and the On-Airport Business seat expire this year.  The County Commission will fill these seats, for three-year terms, during the April 8, 2008 County Commission meeting.

In addition, Mr. Mat McConnel (District #3 Seat) has also asked to be replaced.  The Commission would like to appoint an individual to complete Mr. McConnel’s term (expires 2009) from Appleton, Camden, Hope, Isle Au Haut, Matinicus Isle Plantation, North Haven, Union, Vinalhaven, or Washington at the same time.

The APAC, through the Airport Manager, has already requested nominations from each of the towns identified above and from the airport businesses.  These nominations should be sent to the Airport Manager, Jeff Northgraves (airport@knoxcounty.midcoast.com) or any current member of the APAC by March 13, 2008.  The APAC will compile these nominations and provide recommendations to the County Commission.  Citizens interested in becoming a member of the APAC should notify their town office; citizens may also submit their interest directly to any of the three Commissioners or the County Administrator, prior to March 26.

The APAC normally meets the third Monday of each month, in the airport manager’s office, at 5:00 p.m.  There are two standing sub-committees (Environmental/Public Relations and Operations/Maintenance) which also meet monthly.  The meetings are open to the public and anybody interested in serving on one of the sub-committees should contact the airport manager or any of the APAC members:

District #1 Seat: Gray Smith, South Thomaston (term expires: 2010)
District #2 Seat:  John Curtis, Thomaston (term expires: 2008)
District #3 Seat:  Mat McConnel, Camden (term expires: 2009)
Environmental Seat:  Kathy Allain, Owls Head (term expires: 2009)
Nearby Citizens Seat:  Charlie Siletti, Owls Head (term expires: 2008)
Business Seat:  Bill Maddox, Rockland (term expires: 2009)
Airport Business Seat:  John Newcomb, St. George (term expires: 2008)
Flying Club Seat:  Rene Hebert, Rockport (term expires: 2010)
Commercial Pilot:  Kevin Waters, South Thomaston (term expires: 2010)

Knox County Airport Business Plan

Project Development Process and Estimated Time Frames

• Project Phases

• Phase 1 – Jan/Feb 2008 - Mission/Vision development
• Group will develop the Airport Mission and Vision Statements – and determine who are the airport’s customers, suppliers, and business partners
• Define purpose of the airport – Why are we here? Who do we serve? What should our future look like?
• Review/formalize SWOT analysis
• Phase 2 – March/April 2008 – Data Collection
• Collect all airport operations data
• Project trends for future
• Public Opinion survey
• Collect/review articles, reports, research as needed
• Phase 3 – May/June 2008 – Draft Plan
• Draft Plan
• Including draft recommendations
• Review draft plan with full APAC and Commissioners – seek their input, suggestions, etc
• Make changes to draft plan as needed (based on input from full APAC and Commissioners)
• Phase 4 – July 2008 – Public Input sessions
• Hold a series of facilitated public forums /input sessions 
• Distribute “Draft Plan”
• Educate public on Airport operations and the business plan
• Seek Public input
• Phase 5 – August 2008 – Draft final Plan
• Change, amend, edit the draft plan as needed, based on input from public sessions, etc
• Draft final plan
• Phase 6  - Sept 2008 – secure approval for plan
• Submit final plan to Full APAC for approval
• If approved by APAC – submit final plan to Commissioners for approval
• Final plan to be completed/approved Oct 2008.

• Relationship of the “Airport Business Plan” to the “Terminal Plan”:

The Business Plan Workgroup (a subset of the APAC) is charged with developing an overarching business plan for the future of the Knox County Airport.  In the process of developing that larger business plan, the Workgroup will consider the issues surrounding the future of the Airport Terminal Building.   The Mission., Vision and Business Plan that is developed by the Workgroup will direct the future planning decisions relative to the Terminal Building. General recommendations regarding the future for the Terminal Building will be made in the business plan that is developed.

Based on those recommendations about the future for the Terminal Building, the Airport Manager and consultant will develop the detailed “Terminal Plan” that will be used to seek federal funding for the Terminal development plan.  The Terminal Plan, that will be developed by the Airport Manager and consultants, will be a detailed, technical, and specific plan for the future development of the Terminal Building, which will be consistent with (and driven by) the overarching Airport Mission, Vision and Business Plan.

• Operating Guidelines for “Business Plan Workgroup”:
• Meeting will be facilitated
• A note taker will be used to record meetings, assignments, decisions, etc
• Meetings will be every other Thursday – 4-6 p.m.
• Meetings will be open to public – times and dates will be posted
• Meeting will take place at the Knox County Courthouse – Commissioners’ Office (unless otherwise announced)
• Open  comment period will be offered for 15 mins at the beginning and closing of each meeting
• Only the “Business Plan Workgroup” will be active participants at the meeting – others (APAC members, Airport Mgr, experts, the public, consultants, etc) may be called upon by the Business Plan Workgroup to provide information at the meetings
• Decisions will be made by consensus
• When consensus can not be reached --  a majority vote may be taken (note several attempts, spanning more than one meeting, will be made to reach consensus before a vote is used on an issue).  
• Workgroup members will be given research and writing assignments for the development of the plan.
• Attendance is not mandatory - however, repeated/unexcused absences will be addressed by the Workgroup Chair.

Business Plan Meeting Minutes

Minutes of January 28, 2008 (pdf)

Designed By