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Meeting Minutes
Airport Commission
Regular Meeting
February 12, 2025, | 5:30 p.m.
Chandler Airport Terminal
2380 S. Stinson Way, Chandler, AZ
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Hawley at 5:30 p.m.
Roll Call
Commission Attendance
Staff Attendance
Chairman Christopher Hawley
Ryan Reeves, Airport Manager
Vice Chairman Charles McCorkle
Scott Rinkenberger, Airport Ops Manager
Commissioner Cecil Orozco
Chris Andres, Airport Planning Program Mngr.
Commissioner Robert Ehlbeck
Diana Alonzo, Management Assistant
Commissioner Damian Nichols
Absent
Commissioner Mark Riesterer
Commissioner Mark Mount
Others in Attendance
ATC Tower Manager, William Banakos
Scheduled and Unscheduled Public Appearances
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked if there were any members of the public that would like to address the
committee on any items not on the agenda.
MR. BANAKOS introduced himself to the Airport Commission as the tower manager. He stated that
there have been some staff changes. The tower went from being under Serco to Midwest ATC. Midwest
plans on investing on increasing the number of staff as well as pay. There are currently 6 controllers
not including MR. BANAKOS, but they plan on hiring 3 more controllers. So far, the change has been
a positive one.
Approval of Minutes and Discussion
1. November 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes
Move to approve the Regular Meeting Minutes of November 13, 2024.
Consent Agenda Motion and Vote
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It was moved by COMMISSIONER EHLBECK and seconded by COMMISSIONER OROZCO to
approve the Regular Meeting Minutes of the November 13, 2024.
Motion carried unanimously (4-0).
Briefing
2. Monthly Operations Report
MR. REEVES presented the Monthly Operations Report for November 2024, December 2024, and
January 2025.
For November 2024, you will notice that operations are significantly down from November 2023. In
November of 2023, we had 22,171 total compared to only 19,264 in 2024. The elections taking place
in early November was one cause for decreased number in operations due to TFRs blanketing the
valley. It does take time for that traffic to recover. There weren’t a great number of cranes TFRs,
NOTAMs, or closures in the month, but there was significant crane work in the vicinity. When we dip
below the three-year average, that is where we start to pay close attention. Our counts kept with what
the analysts said was going to happen in this region, and it kept with the decrease they predicted.
They actually showed that we should expect in November in our region, October alone, was a 9%
decrease. We're not bucking a national trend, so that's a positive thing. You can see the order hasn't
changed at all in the regional rankings when we look at the ATADS report. We're still in 4th place for
the valley except for Sky Harbor, obviously, but 49th in the US ranking and we take air carriers out of
that, we're at 19th. That's relatively respectful. Compared to October of 2023, we have slipped a bit in
the GA rankings, but we've come up in the national rankings.
For December 2024, again we are down significantly. The global flight activity for December showed
a 5.8% decrease nationwide. You can see we're holding our own in the national rankings and we're
actually up a little bit in the US rankings from November of 23, but returning back to the three-year
average. At this point we were hoping it was correcting from the elections.
In January 2025, we're within 600 ops of January of 2024. The three-year average is stabilizing. Now
that said, I read reports today that even though we're seeing decreases, Part 91 and 135 turbine
operations was the 3rd best year that analysts had seen. Even though it was a decrease from the
preceding year, they expect to see an overall increase across the year. We expect to see that as well.
I think this is encouraging for the start of the year, and the start of the year came in amazingly strong
with business aviation as well as just normal Part 91 operations. We're seeing swings and market
increases in the fractional world. The Part 91 general aviation world from reciprocating to turbine
operations slowly building numbers. If you look at our numbers in specific, we had 438 IFR itinerate
operations in January of 24. We had 460 in January of 25. Incremental increases like that are not
something that we shouldn't pay attention to. They are significant. They are indicators of where the
market is going and where the market is flying.
From month to month, if we look at our total operations last year, we are just north of 240,000
operations. If we go back and look at the twelve months from October, we actually had over 250,000
operations. As we go around the monthly dial, you can see that the GA ranking this month we actually
did slip. We're down to 23rd. That is accounted for largely by market increases in coast-to-coast
training activities at other flight training centers, particularly Florida.
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3. Monthly Noise Report
MR. RINKENBERGER gave an overview of the monthly noise report for November 2024, December
2024, and January 2025.
For the month of November 2024, we had eight (8) households make nine (9) reports, five (5) were for
aircraft noise, two (2) reports were for low-flying aircraft. Three (3) household were repeat residences.
For the month of December 2024, one (1) report was received from one (1) household regarding aircraft
activity.
For the month of January 2025 report, six (6) households made eight (8) reports regarding aircraft
activity. Four (4) reports were for aircraft noise and two (2) reports were regarding low-flying aircraft.
One (1) report was aircraft traffic, and one (1) report was other activity. Two (2) of the six (6) households
are repeat residences.
4. Monthly Origins and Destinations Report
MR. REEVES gave a report for November 2024, December 2024, and January 2025.
The data provided documents the filed IFR flight plans for commercial operators into and from the
Chandler Municipal Airport in November 2024. These flights represent business travel utilizing CHD;
248 such flights took place in November 2024. There were four (4) repositioning flight from CHD,
representing 1,833 gallons of enroute fuel burn. Total flights to and from CHD represent 44,677 gallons
of fuel burn.
The data provided documents the filed IFR flight plans for commercial operators into and from the
Chandler Municipal Airport in December 2024. These flights represent business travel utilizing CHD;
230 such flights took place in December 2024. There were five (5) repositioning flight from CHD,
representing 2,325 gallons of enroute fuel burn. Total flights to and from CHD represent 35,389 gallons
of fuel burn.
The data provided below documents the filed IFR flight plans for commercial operators into and from
the Chandler Municipal Airport in January 2025. These flights represent business travel utilizing CHD;
224 such flights took place in January 2025. There were five (5) repositioning flight from CHD,
representing 2,837 gallons of enroute fuel burn. Total flights to and from CHD represent 27,538 gallons
of fuel burn.
5. Monthly Construction Report
MR. ANDRES gave an overview of the Construction Report.
Capital Projects in the Design Phase:
West Airport Facilities Upgrade: This is a city funded project at $3.9 million. Revised scope includes
operations garage, parking lot and aircraft observation area. Currently, at 90% design. Coordination
with County Flood for control permit.
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Airport Fuel Tank Relocation: This is a city funded project $610,000. There is a cost negotiation with
vendors.
Runway End Identifier Light (REIL) Installation Runway 4L-22R (North Runway): This is an FAA funded
project for $110,000. The plans are at 100%. The FAA environmental clearance was received.
Runway 4R-22L Rehabilitation (South Runway): The FAA grant for $350,000 for design was approved.
The Kick-off meeting is scheduled for 4/6. 100% of the plans were submitted. Received notice of
eligibility of FAA construction funding. Proceeding to bid phase with advertising in March/April.
Taxiway B Improvements- Phase 1: The ADOT grant for $2,035,000 has been approved. The FAA
environmental clearance was received. 30% design meeting with ADOT on 5/24. 100% sealed plans
submittal on 9/27. Proceeding to the bidding phase with advertising this month.
Hangar Area Pavement Rehabilitation: This a city funded project for $7.4 million to redo pavement in
and among the city-owned hangars. Design Kick-off meeting 10/31. The goal is to have 100% of the
hangar plans by early March. The plan is for bid opening in late April 2025 and construction to start by
7/1/2025.
Capital Projects - Construction Phase:
Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) Replacement: This is an FAA funded project for
$200,000. The FAA environmental clearance was received. Council approval was completed on 6/13.
Preconstruction meeting will be on 7/15 for long-lead equipment procurement. AWOS has been
commissioned and is operating.
Former K&K Site Remediation: City funding for soil remediation near end of Cooper Road north of
Queen Creek. Mobilization starting on 7/8 with remediation originally scheduled to be completed by
mid-November. New schedule has a completion date of summer 2025 with a 5.8-acre restricted use
area remaining.
MR. REEVES shared the new AWOS website https://kchd.awos.live.
MR. RINKENBERGER shared that he is working with the I.T. department on a firewall issue, so the
website is not currently available.
MR. REEVES stated that the website will give you real time meteorological feeds directly from the
AWOS.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked if it also did ATIS.
MR. REEVES responded, only AWOS.
COMMISSIONER OROZCO asked if when they say “apron” at the K&K Site, does that not include
hangars or t-shades with the cost.
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MR. ANDRES responded that they could do hangars, but the cost would be great.
COMMISSIONER OROZCO asked if everything had to be open air.
MR. ANDRES responded yes; an occupied facility is very problematic. T-shades are a problem as well
because of the depth. Structurally, if you're going to engineer for wind shear, you're going to sink anchor
penetrations deep. These have to be maintained. If you have something that has a greater penetration,
more complication, and you also have to run electrical lines to it, the cost increases. You're running
conduit through contamination. If something happens, you have to have a crew out there in full bunny
suits and PPD at higher cost. You're not going to have a typical electrician come out.
MR. REEVES stated that area specifically has not been envisioned to contain structures like t-shades
or nested t-hangars because it is located just adjacent to the largest runway the airport has. That area
has been envisioned as an ideal location for a large FBO or a larger SASO for larger design group of
aircraft. We envision aircraft that wouldn’t traditionally ever need anchoring. It would simply be a surface
that they could park jets and turboprops. They would be essential to that location serving a double
purpose as an engineered cap to ameliorate the environmental concern, but also serve a very essential
need for ongoing operations and revenue generation of the airport.
COMMISSIONER OROZCO asked if they could use that for tie down space and use some of that space
for hangars.
MR. REEVES responded if they were to use that space for hangars, as MR. ANDRES alluded to,
anytime we would have to do simple maintenance tasks below grade operators would immediately incur
not only environmental costs but environmental involvement at quite possibly the local state and federal
level.
COMMISSIONER OROZCO stated that he believes he misunderstood, he was thinking that is only
going to be suitable for ramp or even tiedowns.
MR. REEVES responded that even for tiedowns they have to dig deep because the anchors go quite
deep.
MR. ANDRES stated that the thing about typical parking lots that wouldn't have points, it would just be
just flat payment you parked on it and there's no penetrations.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked if the actual toxic material determined is not moving.
MR. REEVES responded, that is correct.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked if it was just going to be on the ground, the actual soil has been
contaminated, and if it’s not something that is going to migrate somewhere else.
MR. REEVES responded that it is not. It does not aerate, it is not at the water table level, and it is a
chlorine-based insecticide.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked if when the excavation began, how deep did they have to dig.
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MR. REEVES responded that in the landfill area particularly, they went down an average of 10 ft below
grade. There were up to 4 to 6 ft of spoils piles placed on top of that with various types of rumbles and
building disposal waste, which we knew were there. We've hauled out thousands of tons of rumble
impacted by toxaphene. Throughout the rest of the site, contamination readings have been on average
between 12 and 16 ". We excavate where it was affecting soil down 24 " just to ensure full remediation.
That's all going to be co-located in a tighter area that he was alluding to as the 5.8 acres of the
designated environmental used restriction area. So, the toxaphene itself wasn't even 2 ft deep.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked if the dirt that was dug out was taken away and disposed.
MR. REEVES responded no; it is still on site.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked if they were putting back in the hole if that is the idea.
MR. REEVES responded that the hole has been backfilled, it is almost completely full as of today. They
are going to locate it all within that area, and that will be one small section, 5.8 acres out of 17 acres on
site that still has affected soil.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked if they have to bring in extra soil to bring it back to what they already had
on site.
MR. REEVES responded that they already have it on site.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked about the deadlines regarding the federal government freezing grants and
if it would affect any projects.
MR. ANDRES responded not currently. There was an injunction from the district. They received a legal
statement from the FAA stating what they have indicated in their grants. The expectation is that with
the federal government, you make a commitment, you honor your commitment.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked if the ones in which they have contracts are all except for the south runway
project.
MR. REEVES responded that they have accepted and have it writing from the FAA officials that they
will fund up to $4.5 million for that project. Council has already acted very and accepted up to $4.5
million from the FAA based upon bids received. Speaking as a member of the Arizona Airports
Association Legislative Group committee, we have been very active the past several months,
particularly this month at the state local and federal level. Indications that the FAA money and
particularly in light of current events, we anticipate federal grant funding to grow, not to shrink.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY asked if the contracts are written and you hire a vendor to work on the taxiway,
being a $600k project, half of the money coming from the federal government, is there a clause stating
that if a grant were to be frozen or go away, that the airport is not responsible for the other $300k.
MR. REEVES responded that they go through the federal procurement process which guarantees
funding. We match the federal procurement process and there is some very finite reporting that has to
be done.
MR. ANDRES stated even at the beginning of the bid phase, if we get to that point, the project will not
proceed without a signed grant. The grant amendment is based on the bids. The way it works is that
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we'll tell the FAA, here's the exact amount. They will write the grant for the exact amount. There was
also a recent court ruling regarding this matter. It states if Congress votes for the expenditure, the
president cannot, does not have the power to restrict the expenditure. Congress is the sole and the
highest authority that sets budgets and allows expenditures., The previous administration was very
concerned about infrastructure, but both administrations completely agreed and have interest in funding
airports. There's always a chance that the things can change, but we wouldn't proceed without that
signed grant. If that doesn't come through, then there is no project. At this point, the grant is in
encumbered, and they are obligated to fulfill their end.
Information Items
6. Manager’s Report
MR. REEVES shared that fuel sales have been climbing.
The blue line is 2023. The red line is 2024. The changes are seasonal and expected. The numbers for
January were just finalized this afternoon and show field sales are going up. We're still purchasing very
competitively. MR. REEVES is approaching this calendar year with some significant trepidation
because they are seeing market increases in petrochemical product costs. As of right now, they were
hopeful they would hit 70,000 gallons in calendar year 2024.
MR. REEVES also shared that the first meeting for Community Impact Study for the proposed
Runway Extension will be tomorrow. This is an internal group of city stakeholders as well as our
consultant team. Staff has been working diligently to fulfill a three-page information request that's
been ongoing for over a month.
MR. REEVES also shared that the site that we have termed Curtiss East has a drafted RFP for
commercial development. He is waiting on a property valuation estimate to determine how much we
request as the minimum per square foot lease rate. He expects to put that out to the public no later
than May. The RFP will stay on the market for 60 days at which point we will begin the selection
process and bring it to the Commission for recommendation to Council for approval to enter into
negotiations for development. The spot to its west is 20 plus acres, and we will be taking that very
quickly thereafter out for RFP development.
MR. REEVES reminded the Commission that tomorrow night at 05:30 PM is the State of the City
Address at the Chandler Center for the Arts. If anyone from the Commission is going to be there,
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please let him know because he has to publish a notice of quorum if more than four Commissioners
are attending.
MR. REEVES also shared with the Commission that on March 22nd from 9 am – 2 pm, the airport will
be hosting a private event for youth in foster care. This is a joint effort with the #LoveUp Foundation
for children in the adoption system in the state of Arizona. They are expecting between 40 to 50
children to experience a day at the airport. Each child will be escorted by 2 adults. Tenants of the
airport have volunteered to display their aircraft and allow the children to see the airplanes up close.
The tower manager has agreed to give the children a tower tour. The children will receive new shoes,
new clothes and have their portrait taken for their files.
MR. REEVES also reminded everyone that on April 27th through April 29th, staff will be attending the
2025 Spring “Dutch Bertholf” Conference. For the past 6 years running, a member of the airport has
always been a member of the board of directors at the very minimum. MR. RINKENBERGER is
running to be elected as the AzAA Vice-President. This is the one time a year you can guarantee that
the great majority of the 67 public airports in the state of Arizona will be in one place together with all
of the people that work for and with us. The FAA and all the regulators show up, too.
Member Comments/Announcements
COMMISSIONER OROZCO shared that the EAA Chapter will be participating in Chandler’s Innovation
Fair on March 22nd.
CHAIRMAN HAWLEY shared that he has seen a lot of emails sharing events at the airport such as the
VMC club, IMC club, Young Eagles, etc. In Phoenix, The Aircraft Electronics Association is having its
own convention here in March.
Calendar
The next regular Airport Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.,
in the Chandler Airport Terminal, 2380 S. Stinson Way.
Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 6:27 p.m.
______________________________
__________________________________
Ryan Reeves, Secretary
Christopher Hawley, Chairman