Sauk
Prairie Airport Minutes
Special Board of Director's Meeting
December 5, 2002
Prairie du Sac Town Hall
7:00 PM
Present: Board Members: Kirk Olson, Bart Olson, Ed Miller, Doyle Curtis, Ron Lins and Dean Gilding. Not present, Roger Thistle and Bob Cushing.
Others in attendance: Art Kazmierczak, Tom McKenna and Ben Arbernaty.
President Kirk Olson called the meeting to order at 7:05.
This special meeting was called to discuss the dog park fence and the December 21, 2002 cancellation of insurance due to the fence.
At the December 4, 2002 ET Committee meeting after a brief closed session Shawn Murphy announced that earlier in the day Joe Kelley’s attorney Richard Yde, Young Law Office had pointed out to the Village's attorney Edith Merrila, Axley Brynelson LLP that the Extra Territorial Zoning Ordinance passed in 1999 was not valid as it had not been published two times prior to a public hearing as required by law. The Village's attorney agreed with Kelley’s attorney that the law passed in 1999 was invalid and the original 1980 Zoning Ordinance would prevail. In any case the whole legal issue was under review by the Village and its attorney and therefore a decision by the ET Committee to reconsider the 2001 action that permitted the Dog Park fence and caused the hazard to the airport (tabled at the October 16, 2002 ET meeting) would not be considered at this time.
Murphy allowed some of the public to speak. Bart Olson asked Murphy when it would be reconsidered and Murphy was not sure, if ever. Kirk Olson reported that negotiations with Kelley to reach a compromise failed. Pilot Judge Richard Callaway suggested hangar owners potentially would sue the Village if the airport is closed or diminished in anyway due to their actions. Several dog owners also spoke in favor of the dog park. About 50 dog park supporters and about 10 pilots or hangar owners attended the meeting.
Some Board members seemed to think that this was just another tactic being used to avoid having to admit that the ET made an error in allowing the dog park fence to be built and that no decision was going to be forthcoming from the ET Committee ever on this matter. Bart Olson suggested that the only way this was going to be settled one way or the other would be to hire an attorney and possibly go to court where a decision would have to be made by a judge.
Kirk Olson made a motion that the Sauk Prairie Airport Board hire an attorney to review the issues regarding the dog park with airport funds and consult with pilots/hangar tenants Judge Richard Callaway and Attorney Howard Goldman regarding attorney selection. Seconded by Doyle Curtis. Approved. Bart Olson and Ron Lins abstained from voting due to potential conflicts of interest. Kirk Olson will contact Callaway and Goldman.
Doyle Curtis will contact the Airline Pilot’s Association; a lobby group motivated to help small airports for any help regarding this issue.
Dean Gilding made a motion that the SP Airport Board contact the Bureau of Aeronautics to establish a temporary displaced threshold until the dog park issue is resolved in order to preserve the airport's insurance coverage. Seconded by Kirk Olson. Doyle Curtis aye. Ed Miller no. Motion approved. Bart Olson and Ron Lins abstained from voting due to potential conflicts of interest. Bart Olson will contact Jim Jensen, WBOA immediately to submit a displaced threshold plan to the FAA for approval.
Kirk Olson reported that Bob Cushing has expressed a desire to leave the board as he feels a member from the Village of Prairie du Sac board serving on the airport board would be more beneficial to the airport. Bart Olson will contact the Village to see if the Airport Board can get on the agenda to discuss this and other issues.
Historically the next regularly scheduled meeting of the airport board would be in April 2003 but Bart Olson will keep the board members informed of the current pending situations and call special meetings if necessary.
Motion to adjourn by Ed Miller. Seconded by Dean Gilding. Adjourned.
Bart Olson, Sec.-Trea.
Next Regular Meeting April 16, 2003