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...
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...
This is probably going to be a long meeting. You can see the agenda (PDF) for yourself on the airport's web site.
There are no ceremonial items on this meeting's agenda. If there had been, they would be held first.
The "Consent Calendar" is a term for routine items on the agenda which can be approved with a single motion. (That's the California government term for it. In other contexts the same thing may be called a "consent agenda".) It's intended to save time, avoiding drudging through routine stuff. Although any commissioner can pull items out of the consent calendar for discussion before the remaining items are approved as a group.
This meeting's consent calendar items are approval of the minutes from the previous commission meeting on June 14, noise complaint and curfew summaries for May and June, the list of upcoming commission meetings, and the Terminal Area Improvement Program (TAIP) quarterly report (PDF) update. The TAIP report is the final one, covering completion of Terminal B and renovation of Terminal A.
The meeting's general business will include two agenda items with presentations which are an orientation for the three new commissioners (who are Spencer Horowitz, George Gange and myself). This may also be of interest to anyone considering applying for the Airport Commission in the future, to find out what you'd be getting yourself into. Attendees should expect these may be lengthy presentations - there's a lot to talk about.
The commission will also amend its by-laws (PDF). The city's budget cuts have included reducing all the boards and commissions from monthly to quarterly meetings (which reduces overtime for paid staff who attend the meetings.) The by-laws currently say the commission meets monthly, and need to be amended to comply with the quarterly schedule. Special meetings may still be held on additional months as needed.
There will be an item on the airport's Request for Proposals (RFP) about development of the southwest corner of the airport where there are currently General Aviation hangars and the former San Jose State University site. (SJSU's site is being demolished following expiration of the lease. SJSU scaled down its operation and moved it to Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose.) There is online information about the RFP on the airport web site: the presentation slides (PDF) from a public meeting on July 21, and answers to questions (PDF) from that meeting.
The last item of general business will be the Airport Commission's work plan (PDF). It's a summary of the items expected to be on the upcoming meeting agendas for the next year.
Due to the change to a quarterly schedule, the next regularly scheduled Airport Commission meeting after this will be December 13. By then the airport administrative offices and the Airport Commission meetings are expected to have moved from the North First Street office building to the airport. It's because the office and conference room facilities now exist in the new Terminal B, and an airport cost reduction to exit the lease on the North First office building.
There are no ceremonial items on this meeting's agenda. If there had been, they would be held first.
The "Consent Calendar" is a term for routine items on the agenda which can be approved with a single motion. (That's the California government term for it. In other contexts the same thing may be called a "consent agenda".) It's intended to save time, avoiding drudging through routine stuff. Although any commissioner can pull items out of the consent calendar for discussion before the remaining items are approved as a group.
This meeting's consent calendar items are approval of the minutes from the previous commission meeting on June 14, noise complaint and curfew summaries for May and June, the list of upcoming commission meetings, and the Terminal Area Improvement Program (TAIP) quarterly report (PDF) update. The TAIP report is the final one, covering completion of Terminal B and renovation of Terminal A.
The meeting's general business will include two agenda items with presentations which are an orientation for the three new commissioners (who are Spencer Horowitz, George Gange and myself). This may also be of interest to anyone considering applying for the Airport Commission in the future, to find out what you'd be getting yourself into. Attendees should expect these may be lengthy presentations - there's a lot to talk about.
The commission will also amend its by-laws (PDF). The city's budget cuts have included reducing all the boards and commissions from monthly to quarterly meetings (which reduces overtime for paid staff who attend the meetings.) The by-laws currently say the commission meets monthly, and need to be amended to comply with the quarterly schedule. Special meetings may still be held on additional months as needed.
There will be an item on the airport's Request for Proposals (RFP) about development of the southwest corner of the airport where there are currently General Aviation hangars and the former San Jose State University site. (SJSU's site is being demolished following expiration of the lease. SJSU scaled down its operation and moved it to Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose.) There is online information about the RFP on the airport web site: the presentation slides (PDF) from a public meeting on July 21, and answers to questions (PDF) from that meeting.
The last item of general business will be the Airport Commission's work plan (PDF). It's a summary of the items expected to be on the upcoming meeting agendas for the next year.
Due to the change to a quarterly schedule, the next regularly scheduled Airport Commission meeting after this will be December 13. By then the airport administrative offices and the Airport Commission meetings are expected to have moved from the North First Street office building to the airport. It's because the office and conference room facilities now exist in the new Terminal B, and an airport cost reduction to exit the lease on the North First office building.
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