Advisory Committee members in attendance
Tim Brooks, Kenmore Air Harbor
Scott Plank, Aviation at Large
Carol Key, FAA
Dale Newman, CAP
Jerry Richardson, CAA
Barbara Tolbert, NWEAA
H. Smith, WPA
Russ Keys, Aviation at Large
Mary Place, Mayor City of Yakima
Dale Carmon for Jeff Robb, WAMA

WSDOT Staff Present
John Sibold, Director of Aviation
John Shambaugh, Senior Planner
Stan Allison, Manager Aviation Operations
Nisha Hanchinamani, Outreach and Education Coordinator
Marilee Jensen, Executive Assistant

Call to Order
John Sibold called the meeting to order.

Meeting Agenda

• Introductions
• 2004 Strategic & Business Plan Highlights
• Regional Transportation Planning Process & Washington State Transportation Plan
• Regional Air Service Planning
• Northwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show

2004 Advisory Meeting Dates

• Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 11:00am to 1:00pm Arlington
• Thursday, August 19, 2004 - 11:00am to 1:00pm
• Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 11:00 to 1:00pm

General Update
The 2004 Strategic & Business Plan Highlights were handed out along with WSDOT Aviations Performance Objectives for 2004 and 2005 incorporating input from the Aviation Study Groups that met last summer.

Legislation Recommendations proposed to Senator Haugen, Senate Transportation Committee

• Eliminate all aviation fuel tax exemptions
• Reduce the aviation fuel tax from $.10 per gallon to $.02 per gallon for all users except air carriers
• Propose $.01 per gal fuel tax for air carriers
• Deposit all pilot registration fees into the Aeronautics Account.
• Deposit 20% excise use tax into the Aeronautics Account.

The 2004 Legislative Session has begun and WSDOT is tracking several Bills:
SB6173 Requiring storm water and wetland mitigation for public-use airports to be compatible with safe airport operations. (Support)

• Bill requires storm water and wetland mitigation for public-use airports to promote safe airport operations.
• Open water on large tracts of land naturally attracts birds and wildlife, creating a potential safety hazard for aircraft.
• During 1990-2002, a reported 696 bird strikes occurred in Washington
• Opponents of the bill expressed environmental concerns may become secondary to promoting safe airport operations.

SB3077 This bill proposes to fund the airport impact mitigation account through landing fees, primary targeting SeaTac. (Monitoring)
SB6563 This bill proposes funding a commercial aviation study at Paine Field. (Monitoring)

REGISTRATION PENALTIES

• Aviation is currently cleaning up its list of registered pilots and aircraft to ensure accuracy before sending out penalty notifications.
• John Sibold asked the Committee members for support with enforcement as the new law resulted in part results from feedback from the aviation community.
• Aviation is stepping into a new roll with enforcement but wants to maintain the strong, service-orientated relationship with its customers.

BUSINESS PLAN ACTIONS

• Improve product delivery – close out FAA grants in a timely manner.
• Define airports of statewide significance using the Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
• Get 5 NIPAS airports to apply for federal grants for the first time.
• Develop a tool kit for land use planners on compatible land use.
• Create an aviation information clearinghouse for aviation education resources.

RTPO PRESENTATION

• WSDOT Aviation Senior Planner, John Shambaugh provided a map of transportation planning organizations by region.
• Provided brief overview of the RTPO history.
• Supplied policy framework for Washington Transportation Plan

COMMENTS:

H. Smith requested the number of aircraft owners and pilots that are currently not registered.

Mary Place suggested a table of contents for Aviation reports and news items, which would save readers time when looking for pertinent articles.

Jerry Richardson wanted more information on how to get connected with the RTPOs.

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