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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06202006 - C.17 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS -s L �� ,Contra FROM: MAURICE M. SHIU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR Costa DATE: June 20, 2006 STA -a�� County SUBJECT: APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director,or designee, to purchase a non- flying, non-airworthy aircraft for the Buchanan Field Airport Tour Program. SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I. Recommended Action: APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to purchase a non-flying, non- airworthy aircraft for the Buchanan Field Airport Tour Program, at a cost not to exceed N$ OOO,Pacheco area. (District IV) H. Financial Impact: No impact to the County General Fund. The Airport Enterprise Fund will fund the entire amount. III. Reasons for Recommendations and Background: This aircraft will be used as an educational tool to supplement the very active Buchanan Field Airport Tour Program. More than 2,800 children and adults ha parti 'pated in the Airport Tour Program since Continued on Attachment: X SIGNATURE: ✓RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE ':::APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURES ACTION OF BO ON V&&pp G eA%WROVED AS RECOMMENDED_OTHER I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken VOOF SUPERVISORS and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date Y UNANIMOUS(ABSENT shown. AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ATTESTED:__ JOHN CULLEN,Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator Orig.Div: Public Works(Airport Division) Contact: Keith Freitas,Phone(925)646-5722 County Administrator Auditor-Controller By Deputy Community Development Public Works Director Julie Bueren,Deputy PW Director Public Works Accounting SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director,or designee,to purchase a non-flying,non-airworthy aircraft for the Buchanan Field Airport Tour Program. DATE: June 20,2006 PAGE 2 III. Reasons for Recommendations and Background, Con't.: December of 2002. Currently, we rely on the time and generosity by some of the airport businesses to show the tour participants a single-engine aircraft and explain what it takes to make an aircraft fly. At times the airport businesses are unable to participate in the Airport Tour Program due to other commitments by their aircraft and staff. This current process is inconsistent and places a burden on those aviation businesses. Very few of the group participants are able to climb inside and touch the controls of the aircraft. Most are kept on the outside looking in. The problem lies with the fact that these are flyable aircraft, so the businesses are typically, rightfully so, reluctant to allow non-pilots to touch an aircraft and its controls. Purchasing an aircraft would provide a hands-on experience for the children and adults that attend the Airport Tour Program. This aircraft would not be operable,but tour participants would still be able to climb into the cockpit and move the controls and therefore receive a more complete understanding of how an aircraft operates. They would ultimately get more of a sense of what it's like to pilot an aircraft. Purchasing an aircraft would also remove the burden from the airport businesses and their staff. Some examples are: We have scheduled tours for the entire second grade at Burton Valley Elementary in Lafayette, which is a total of 120 children. To accommodate this entire class grade during a one month period we had tours scheduled for the third, forth, fifth, sixth, thirteenth, and seventeenth. During this month staff was able to get several airport businesses to agree to help,but it significantly impacted their operation. We have also had the entire first grade of Heights Elementary in Pittsburg attend two years in a row. Their group has been as many as 113 children in one day. To handle this amount of children requires a several hour commitment by the airport businesses. Again,these requests put a burden on the airport businesses, by tying up aircraft and staff. With our own aircraft the Airport staff will be able to complete the aircraft and pilot presentation segment without the assistance of the airport businesses. During an interview with the 2005 Warren K. Eukel Teacher of the Year recipient,Mrs. Deborah Meylan, she stated that her favorite field trip is to Buchanan Field Airport. Mrs. Meylan has been teaching at the Pittsburg Unified School District for 15 years and she was recently quoted as saying"the more the children can touch and feel a topic the more they understand it." IV. Consequences of Negative Action: Airport businesses will continue to be burdened by the amount of times Airport staff requests their assistance for the Airport Tour Program. Tour participants will,continue to be limited in their hands on educational experience at the Airport. Additionally,the tour participants will continue to be affected by the inconsistency of the Tour Program.