September 2010 Archives

This is my unofficial summary of the Sept 20, 2010 meeting of the San Jose Int'l Airport Commission.  It's just my view as one of the participants, intended to help others interested in the process to follow it.  The airport staff will post the official minutes at the Airport Commission page on FlySanJose.Com.  This is my point of view of the meeting.

This was my first meeting seated as a commissioner.  It's been a while since my term officially started in July.  But there's no July meeting due to California's "legislative break" which includes local government.  And the August meeting was canceled.  So it took longer than normal to get the first meeting.

I was expecting that one issue would be contentious and one would be time-consuming.  The time-consuming item (or group of similar items) were the orientation presentations for the three new commissioners, including me.

The item I expected to be contentious was the report on the city's request for proposals (RFP) on development of new private hangars on the southwest corner.  There are currently General Aviation tie-down parking and hangars, and the former SJSU Aviation Dept facility.  The RFP was prompted by  the expiration of SJSU's lease.  The facility is currently being demolished.  But the tie-downs and hangars are currently in use, the last group of light aircraft based at SJC.  To them, it had the appearance that they were imminently being run out of the airport.  So now you can also understand why that was expected to be contentious.

So here's what happened...

I'll post a summary of what to expect from the San Jose International Airport Commission meeting tonight (Sept 20, 2010).  It will be at 6PM at 1732 North First Street, Suite 600 (6th floor) in San Jose.

First I'd like to credit my friend and former co-worker Jim Griffith for giving me the idea.  I watched the process as he ran for and was elected to the Sunnyvale City Council.  On his blog at dweeb.org he posts previews before city council meetings, and summaries afterward.  These are a separate unofficial point of view of one of the participants, separate from the official agenda and minutes.  The extra narrative is intended to help anyone who is interested to follow what's going on.

On previews before the meeting (like this post) I'll only describe what's on the agenda.  Even though my position on the Airport Commission is an appointed volunteer advisory role, it is still subject to the same requirements of California's "Brown Act" open local government law as elected officials.  So I'll save my opinions for the commission meeting itself and my post-meeting unofficial summary, after items have been voted on, and my discussion of them is no longer restricted.  The intent of the law is to make all the official discussion happen at the published meeting time when members of the public are able to attend.  All San Jose Airport Commission meetings are open to the public.

So, here's what's coming up at the SJC Airport Commission meeting...