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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08 04 1989 FAA outlines study parametersSebastian Sun Week of August 4,1989 Pg- 7-A FAA outlines study parameters By George Ricker The Sebastian City Council's special legal counsel on airport matters was placed on standby this week, and city officials have been advised by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a proposed planning study must be an "airport" study and mustconsider the input of airport users and operators. Saying he is concerned "too many hands in the soup can spoil the broth," City Manager Robb McClary has advised Cutler & Stanfield's attorneys the city considers the taw firm to be in a standby position, relative to the airport, unless other legal issues arise. In a leuer, written Monday to Eliot Cutler and Jonathan Potter, a princi- pal partner and one of the attomeys in the Washington, D.C., law firm the City Council hired on April 20, McClary said he felt the standstill agreement the attorneys had drafted between the city and the FAA was "...in the best interest of the city." "l believe we have transitioned from a legal to an administrative issue in Airport (from 7-A) "We reserve the right to provide more detailed comments, once a con- sultant is selected and the resources, including detailed cost and man-hour breakdowns needed to complete the study, are identified." The planning study is part of the standstill agreement Cutler negoti- ated between Sebastian and the FAA. In exchange for the City Council's promise to defer. final passage of an ordinance imposing noiserestrictions and user fees at the airport, the FAA agreed to provide up to 90 percent of the cost of the study, which may run as high as $200,000. Excluded from the 90 percent fund- ing is the $27,000 the FAA has al- ready paid toward the city's airport master plan. According to a memo, issued last month by McClary, if the study costs $200,000, the city's share will be about $47,000. Those funds will come from the airport enterprise fund. It is hoped the study will form the basis of an agreement between the airport's proponents and opponents. Quinones-Flott said last Friday the study would be a community docu- ment, and she hoped there would be agreement on the elements. "I am hoping it will not become a situation where everything needs to be forced," she said. City Planner Peter Jones has been placed in charge of coordinating the planning study for the city. Jones said he had talked to Qui- nones-Flott before the FAA's com- ments were released and understood the FAA's concern. He did not view the comments as criticisms, he explained, but as re- marks from one professional to an- other, indicating the FAA's view of the planning process the city is about to undertake. "From an administrative and physi- cal planning point of view, they wanted to be sure we were preparing to do an airport study and not a com- munity development plan," Jones said. He noted the attorneys had used very broad language in the prelimi- nary scope of services. "They tried to touch all of the bases," Jones added. As the proposed study is discussed with consultants, Jones said the tasks to be undertaken will be refined. He stated the city needs to walk a line between the FAA's concerns and those of the other parties involved. "This is not going to be a typical airport master plan study," Jones said. ""There are some anomalies here that do not fit into that process." The consultants hired to do the study probably will want to gather data from the various community groups that are involved in the issue, Jones suggested. He said that proba- bly would be something that wouldbe done early in the process. It will be essential to have the input of the airport operators and users throughout the process, he added. According to a memo, issued by Jones through McClary's office last week, the next step in process is to review the scope of services and to resubmit it to the FAA. Once the FAA has agreed to the study's statement of work, the city will begin requesting qualifications from consulting firms that mightactu- allyundertake the study. That is pro- jected to take place from Aug. 21 through Sept. 22. Jones' memo indicates the top three candidates will be selected on Oct. 6, and by Nov. 1, the final work scope, contract and fees will be negotiated. At that point, the city will begin procedures to apply for the FAA grant to partially fund the study. It is important to note the schedule is very tentative, Jone said, and may be adjusted as circumstances require. "We have been assured by the FAA the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 will havenoimpacton theavailability of funding," he noted. Jones said the city will call on the services of the Florida Department of General Services to assist with the planning study. The state's Competitive Negotia- tions Act (Florida Statute 287) pro- vides for such assistance to local municipalites, he said, and even pro- vides that a representative from the state agency may be sent to meet with the local selection committee, when the city is ready to review the consult- ant's applications. Requests for qualifications will be sought by, advertising in the major media throughout the state, Jones explained, and in professional publi- cations as well. "Obviously, we will key on con- sultants located closest to home. However, that may be outweighed by the expertise and qualifications of the applicants," he noted.