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Home My WebLink About05 26 1989 Council OKs Study's Second PhaseFriday, May 26, 1989, Vero Beach, Fla., Press -Journal / Council OKs Study's Second Phase By PATRICIA DiLALLA Sebastian Bureau Chief A proposal for a Community Air- port Plan to be prepared as part of a second phase of an economic study on the Sebastian Municipal Airport was approved Wednesday by City Council. Vice Mayor Robert McCarthy and Councilmen Robert McCollum and Lloyd Rondeau voted in favor and Mayor Richard Votapka and Councilman Frank Oberbeck voted against approval. Another proposal to slurry seal runway 4/22 and remove the lights was put on hold at Rondeau's re- quest. Rondeau, who denied his request had anything to do with recom- mendations made by airport attor- ney Eliot Cutler, said it is not the right time to proceed. )uring his status report on the ah)ort, Cutler cautioned council aginst removing the lights now, removing the runway lights," C*r said, "sends a signal that is no otng to make the task of re- solg the disputes that may exist Legal Fees Concern Mayor Concern about the first month's airport legal fees caused Mayor Richard Votapka to suggest that the airport attorneys not talk to the media to save the city money. Opposing Votapka's position, Vice Mayor Robert McCarthy made a motion at Wednesday's council meeting that Cutler & Stanfield be allowed free reign In talking to the press. The finalvote was 3 2, with Votapka and Coun. c➢lman Frank ©berbeck casting the negative votes. Cutler's law firm recently sent a. bill of $8,600 for 41 hours of work between the city and the Federal Aviation Administration any easier." That signal, he said, is that the city has made up its mind to close the airport. With regard to the economic study being conducted by Apogee Research, Cutler said that a survey -- 40 during the last eight days In April. Included in the bill was a charge for an interview with a newspaper reporter. Eliot Cutter said It is his firm's policy to charge for media inter- views when conducted on behalf of clients. In explaining his vote after the meeting, Votapka said there has: to be some limit to the legal fees. "I do not want to see any news. worthy item suppressed," McCar- thy said of his vote.. of operations at the airport re- vealed there is a relatively consis- tent daily rate of operations of 24- 28 per hour. "There may be considerably higher levels of training flights than originally thought in the (master plan)," he said. Knowing the consistent number of operations will help Apogee to generafe a forecast for annual oper- ations leading to an operations fee, he said. An aircraft census revealed there are 52 based aircraft and eight transient craft at the airport, he said. Sixteen of the 52 based aircraft are not listed on the relevant feder- al aviation regulations on which the airport charter amendment is based, he said. The ordinance he is preparing to implement will deal with that prob- lem, Cutler said. Seventeen of the based aircraft "will clearly be permitted to con- tinue operations at the airport under the noise rule," he said. A noise survey has come up with an interim finding that aircraft that would be permitted to operate at the airport under the terms of the amendment create noise levels immediately adjacent to the airport and off thq airport property greater than , noise levels allowed under current city codes, he said. The long-awaited meeting with the FAA attorneys will take place today at 4 p.m., Cutler said.