They're like the energizer bunny...

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:sOFzc.36232$2i5.9871@attbi_s52...
I know this is your first thought, but, did the airport accept FAA
funds for improvement?

Yes. As a result, there is no immediate danger of closing.

However, I'm not worried about tomorrow. I'm worried about 2020.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

How about the occasional airport event (or do you already do those)? I saw
one revitalize a small-town airport that was going downhill. They just did a
pancake breakfast, rolled out a few of the locals' planes for people to look
at, and got some nearby warbirds to come in to give rides. One of our local
airports does an open house with the pancakes, a raffle, local planes and a
static display of a few interesting planes and life flight helicopters flown
in from nearby. Local clubs come in and put up booths for this and that.
Another local airport does that plus Young Eagle flights. An acro demo is
nice, but I've seen kids stare and ooh at local planes - especially the
interesting experimentals - just doing touch and goes. A hangar dance is
always a winner, too, with or without barbecue. Anything that makes the
airport seem like a special part of the community may help in the long run.

Kathy

JAY I COULD GO AND ON ALL DAY.

Welcome to marketing 101.

Thanks, Shiv. Good points, all.

Sadly, while our opposition is made up of university types, all enjoying
their summers off, the rest of us have to work for a living. Since Mary and
I work from 100 to 120 hours per week between us, plus trying to spend as
much time with the kids as possible, it's safe to say that our time
allotment devoted to the schmoozing of local officials and media types is
virtually non-existent.

I need to clone myself.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I need to clone myself.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


Funny this coming from a guy with two kids

I do feel for your situation. True they may view this as a "good thing", as
you said, this is only a short-term view. One of the problems I see in
politics/business/people's lives overall I'm afraid. Short-term thinking
only works when it's tied to a long-term goal. Would it be possible to work
with the city on a new organization for the long term? The city would run
things for 3 years say, with the goal of having an organization setup that
would be run by members of the city council and some outside people as well?
Ie, a leadership of 5 people, comprised of 2 city council people, 2 people
from the airport itself (FBO manager, etc.) and one floating person (Pilot
based on the field, etc.) This way there is representation from all
interested parties, with no one group in control who might have their
motivations swayed away from the best interests of the airport/community.
Just typing out loud here, this may be a completely dumb way of doing
things, but that's why I'm an engineer, not a politician/organization head.
I just think that as you say, no one has any time, and I doubt that City
Councilors have more time than anyone else, and you'll see things at the
airport atrophy over time because of this.


--
Louis L. Perley III
N46000

You have committed the cardinal sin of building coalition, and that is by not
including all the stakeholders. Jay said that the bitch bunch was the
university folks, so they HAVE to have a seat at the table. It is probably true
that right now they feel that they have no voice on the Commission, so their
mantra is "do away with the Commission".

One city councilperson, one airport employee, one interested airport user, and
two "general public" seats.

However, as Stalin so aptly noted, "We don't care who votes. We care who
counts." The crux of the situation is defining each of the categories and
figuring out how to impartially appoint the Commission. Perhaps you might want
to divvy the two gp seats up by district, and being sure that the university has
the predominant influence in at least one of the districts. Or, you could go so
far as to replace one of the general public seats with a person appointed by the
president (chancellor, superintendent...etc.) of the university.

If ALL the stakeholders buy into the plan, it is hard for them to later say that
they didn't have their fair concerns taken into account.

Jim




-Ie, a leadership of 5 people, comprised of 2 city council people, 2 people
-from the airport itself (FBO manager, etc.) and one floating person (Pilot
-based on the field, etc.) This way there is representation from all
-interested parties, with no one group in control who might have their
-motivations swayed away from the best interests of the airport/community.


Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

Jay, I'm the AOPA rep for our local airport (KDXR), and frankly your
problems are nothing compared to ours. The airport commission here is
appointed by the mayor, and it's members vary with the political
leanings of whatever mayor is in office. Very few are pilots, none are
willing to over-ride the airport commissioner.
I would act on the assumption that the structure of your commission is
going to change, and make damn sure that the commission includes a heavy
representation of airport users, and folks whose livelihood depends on
the airport (local businesses, pilots, mechanics, etc).
These battles get vicious. The recommendation to publicly post the
"curriculum vita" of those positively affected by the airport is an
excellent one. Locally, our current battle is with noise-nazis, a
situation which would never have happened if the airport commission and
local politicians had been doing the job they have been elected, or
appointed, to do. I point this out to the media at every chance I get,
and sometimes I have to create the chance. The response
is...fascinating. The political cockroaches run for cover ASAP.
These battles can be a full time job, or a small amount of time
thrusting the sword at the appropriate point as needed.

Good Luck,
Rip
PS: Feel free to call me. My phone number can be found at
http://www.navioneer.org/riprelay

Jay Honeck wrote:
JAY I COULD GO AND ON ALL DAY.

Welcome to marketing 101.


Thanks, Shiv. Good points, all.

Sadly, while our opposition is made up of university types, all enjoying
their summers off, the rest of us have to work for a living. Since Mary and
I work from 100 to 120 hours per week between us, plus trying to spend as
much time with the kids as possible, it's safe to say that our time
allotment devoted to the schmoozing of local officials and media types is
virtually non-existent.

I need to clone myself.

I'm the AOPA rep for our local airport (KDXR), and frankly your
problems are nothing compared to ours.


Are they ever going to find another operator for that restaurant? I used to
love to fly in for dinner at the Rock'n'Roll Brew Pub . . .

www.Rosspilot.com

"Jay Honeck" writes:

I know this is your first thought, but, did the airport accept FAA
funds for improvement?

Yes. As a result, there is no immediate danger of closing.

However, I'm not worried about tomorrow. I'm worried about 2020.

Oh, well, @#$*(&(@#! Ya had me worried there, mate.

OK, you've got to derail this idea of eliminating the airport
commission, can't help much with that.

For the longer term, start reaching out to the community. Do you
(plural-your airport group) have Young Eagle days? How about an Open
House, where you show not only airplanes, but all kinds of old cars,
new experimental cars, tractors, etc. etc. With a University nearby
you have a great source of odd things to demo at the Open House.
Basically you want to generate a warm, fuzzy feeling for the airport.

You--or somebody good at it--is going to have to learn to schmooze
with the big boys. Ya gotta play the game. Most of us on this forum
don't like the game, or even realize one is being played. Too bad,
the ball's being kicked right now and if you're looking the other way
you'll get whacked in the head and not even know what hit ya. Here's
a hint--the game is not played on the Letters to the Editor page of
the local rag, nor by emails to the city council. Like others have
said, follow the money.

Sounds like Mr. Daley set a nice example for airport nazis everywhere.


Jay said:
I'm tired, man. We fight, and fight, and fight, and we defeat them at
every
logical level, both publicly and privately -- and then they pull together
a
sneak attack like this.

Jay Honeck wrote:
snip
We are soooo screwed.

It seems like this is happening to airports all over the country. Very
few municipalities recognize their airports as valuable parts of the
transportation infrastructure. I fought similar fights for years at
College Park (MD) airport, then fought overdevelopment issues at Freeway
(MD) airport, and now I'm involved in the same type of attacks from the
City Council at the Ocean City (MD) airport. Write as many letters as you
can and speak at as many City Council meetings as you can.


--
__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.oceancityairport.com
http://www.oc-adolfos.com

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:IMFzc.36228$2i5.28452@attbi_s52...
Why is the city providing any funds for the airport?

Why does government build roads? Or sidewalks? How is a runway
different
from a road?

Jesus, man, what kind of a stupid question is that? Is there a city road
in
any city in America that isn't built with public funds?

Yes...in every new housing or corporate real estate development.

Is there a municipal airport in America that DOESN'T take public funds?

Probably not.