Dec 12, 2024 Airport Committee

[00:00:01]

GOING TO GO. SO THAT'S WHY THEY WERE DOING A GOOD JOB. SO WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. LAST NIGHT. NO. LAST

[Call to Order]

[a. 2024-0824 – AIRPORT RE:    APPROVAL OF TASK ORDER #27 TO A MASTER AGREEMENT FOR CONSULTANT SERVICES BETWEEN ONEIDA COUNTY, THROUGH ITS DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION, AND C & S ENGINEERS, INC.  ]

IT'S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR BIG MAIN RAMPS AND HEADING OUT ON THE TAXIWAYS, OUT TO THE RUNWAY. IT'S TO CLEAN UP THAT CORNER. WE'RE STRAIGHTENING, TAKING SOME SOD OUT OF THERE AND MAKING IT A LITTLE MORE. A LITTLE EASIER FOR AIRCRAFT TO TRAVEL THROUGH THAT AREA. THAT'S WHAT THIS PROJECT HERE IS. IT'S FUNDED BY THE FAA. 90% WITH 5% STATE. 5% COUNTY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, WE'LL CALL THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. PASSES. NEXT UP IS 2024, TEN, 1004. AND

[b. 2024-1004 – AIRPORT RE:     APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO CAPITAL PROJECT H-AIR 098 56102 – CAPITAL OUTLAY – APRON 1 & 2 REHAB PHASE 1 CONSTRUCTION  ]

QUESTIONS? CALL A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. PASSED. NEXT UP, 2024 1003. THIS IS APPROVAL OF

[c. 2024-1003 – AIRPORT RE:     APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO CAPITAL PROJECT H-AIR 104 56102 – CAPITAL OUTLAY – OBSTRUCTION MITIGATION PROJECT  ]

YEAH, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT IN REGARDS TO THE TREES THAT ARE TOO HIGH.

AIRCRAFT COMING IN IN THE FOG OR AT NIGHT. THEY OBVIOUSLY CAN'T SEE THE TREES AT NIGHT. SO THEIR INSTRUMENTS ARE BRINGING THEM IN. AND SOME OF THE TREES WERE A LITTLE TOO TALL. FOR THE FAA. SO THE FAA FUNDS THIS PROJECT. TO TAKE THOSE TREES DOWN AND ELIMINATE THEM COMPLETELY. WE GO BACK TO GRASS AREA THAT WE CAN MOW. AND THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT THAT WE GOT GOING HERE. WHAT ABOUT PRIVATE LAND BEYOND COUNTY LAND? WELL, IT WORKED OUT GREAT. I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT THE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS WANTED TO DO THEIR OWN TREES. SO WE SURVEYED IT AND IDENTIFIED WHICH TREES WERE THE ISSUE, AND THEY HAD THEIR OWN TREE COMPANIES COME IN BECAUSE THEY WANTED THE WOOD, FIREWOOD FOR THEIR HOMES, AND THEY JUST ASSUME NOT HAVE A LOT OF EQUIPMENT CUTTING THROUGH THEIR PROPERTY. SO THEY SAID, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THE TREES. SO THE COUNTY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING ON THE PRIVATE PROPERTIES. NICE. YEP. QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

OPPOSED? PASS. LET'S SEE. NEXT UP IS 2024 942. THIS IS A TRANSFER OF 175,000 TO A FIVE.

[d. 2024-0942 – AIRPORT RE:  TRANSFER OF $175,000.00 TO A 5610 5627.495-500 – OTHER EXPENSES MARKETING EXPENSES (AIRPORT)  ]

EXCUSE ME, I GRABBED THE WRONG ONE HERE. I WAS ON AIRFIELD LIGHTING. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MARKETING? YEAH. THAT'S AMANDA. THAT'S THE MARKETING FOR AX ENTERPRISE, FOR THE UAS. THE 5627 THAT WE HAVE AT THE AIRPORT, THE TEST SITE. THAT'S THE MARKETING TO GO TO THESE UAS SHOWS EVENTS TO MARKET OUR SITE AT GRIFFITHS. I'M SORRY. I GRABBED THE WRONG JACKET. HOW ARE THOSE GOING? ARE WE GETTING GOOD RESPONSE? ARE WE BRINGING IN PEOPLE FROM THOSE? YEAH, ACTUALLY, IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS WE'VE BEEN FIELDING QUITE A BIT OF CALLS AT THE AIRPORT. WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS RIGHT AT THIS POINT, I'M LISTED AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND THE PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL COMES TO RIGHT DIRECTLY TO MY OFFICE. SO WHAT I DO IS I FIELD THESE CALLS AS THEY COME IN, AND THEN I SEND THESE OUT RIGHT OUT TO THE OUR TEAM AT AX ENTERPRISE. AND THEN THEY RETURN THE CALLS AND START TALKING TO THESE CUSTOMERS. BUT YEAH, THERE'S QUITE A FEW. IT LOOKS LIKE SOME PROJECTS COMING UP. SO PERCENTAGE WISE, HANG ON CHAD, I'LL GET TO YOU NEXT.

PERCENTAGE WISE, FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT SKYDOMES OPEN, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS ROUGHLY IS FILLED UP WITH PEOPLE? SKYDOME. SKYDOME HAS BEEN A SLOW START BECAUSE OF THIS TYPE OF TESTING THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN THERE. YOU SEE MORE STUFF IN THE OPS CENTER AND ON THE FIELD

[00:05:01]

YEP. OKAY. YEAH. AND ALONG THE LINE OF THE UAS TEST SITE, I DON'T IMAGINE YOU'VE HAD ANY CALLS FROM NEW JERSEY, THE GOVERNOR. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO GET ASKED THAT QUESTION. NO, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY CALLS IN REGARDS TO NEW JERSEY. JUST BUT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I DO HAVE OF WHAT WE DO AT GRIFFITHS AND WHAT I, WE DO HAVE THERE THOSE DRONES THAT ARE FLYING. I BELIEVE WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE. I THINK THEY ARE US. BECAUSE IF THEY WEREN'T, I KNOW WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO BRING THEM. PARDON ME? NO. WELL, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, KEVIN, I THINK WAS OUT THERE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. AND MAYBE HE'S HAD CALLS SINCE HE MADE SOME SORT OF A COMMENT ABOUT IT. YEAH. WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING AT THE AIRPORT. SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS, RIGHT. GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HE KNEW I WAS GOING TO ASK THAT. CALL THE VOTE. ALL

[e. 2024-0943 – AIRPORT RE: TRANSFER OF $280,500.00 TO A 5610 5627.495-000 – OTHER EXPENSES (AIRPORT)  ]

REAL QUICK. BACK AT THAT TIME, I THINK THERE WERE FOUR DIFFERENT RADARS TO OPERATE IN ORDER TO CATCH THESE DRONES THAT ARE SO SMALL AT TREETOP LEVEL, ARE THERE FEWER TYPES OF SYSTEMS, RADAR WISE, TO ACTUALLY EVERYTHING THAT WAS INSTALLED THERE THEN IS IN PLACE RIGHT NOW. THERE'S A SUB SURFACE RADAR THAT DOES THE STUFF ALONG THE GROUND. VEHICLES, AIRCRAFT, DRONES FLYING LOW. THE SUB PICKS THAT UP. THERE'S AN L STAR ON THE ROOF THAT SAYS SYRACUSE RESEARCH RADAR. THAT GOES OUT TO ABOUT 35 MILES. IT PICKS UP SMALLS AND LARGES. THEN WE HAVE WHAT WE HAVE IS CALLED TWO R 1400 RADARS. WE HAVE ONE IN ROME. WE HAVE ONE ON OUR MOBILE OPERATION CENTER THAT WE CAN MOVE IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. THAT DOES 0 TO 5000FT. AND THE LAST ONES ARE IN THE NORTH COUNTRY. WE HAVE A MULTI LATERAL MULTI RADAR SYSTEM IS THAT THERE'S LIKE NINE UNITS OUT IN THE WESTERN NEW YORK AND IN THAT AREA. BUT THEY'RE ALL ACTIVE RIGHT NOW. WOW INTERESTING. THANK YOU. YEP. OTHER QUESTIONS. WE'LL CALL THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. PASSES. NEXT UP IS 2024 821. THAT'S THE APPROVAL OF TASK ORDER 26 TO A MASTER

[f. 2024-0821 – AIRPORT RE:    APPROVAL OF TASK ORDER #26 TO A MASTER AGREEMENT FOR CONSULTANT SERVICES BETWEEN ONEIDA COUNTY, THROUGH ITS DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION, AND C & S ENGINEERS, INC.  ]

[g. 2024-1006 – AIRPORT RE:     DESIGNATION OF THE BOARD OF LEGISLATORS OF THE COUNTY OF ONEIDA AS LEAD AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW (SEQR) FOR THE AIRPORT BUSINESS PARK DEVELOPMENT PROJECT AT GRIFFISS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT  ]

[00:10:07]

SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF CHANGES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON MAPPING. SO SWITCH OUT OF THE MAP PRIOR TO NEXT MONTH OR PRIOR TO NEXT WEEK'S MEETING. BUT THE BULK OF IT IS BEFORE YOU. QUESTIONS.

WE'LL CALL THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. PASSES. 2024 1017. THIS IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF

[h. 2024-1017 – AIRPORT RE:     ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPITAL PROJECT H – AIR – 137 – AIRFIELD LIGHTING UPGRADES  ]

THE LIGHTING. LIGHTING PROJECT? YEP. NEED LIGHTS AND SIGNS. CALL THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

[i. 2024-1028 – AIRPORT RE:     APPROVAL OF A CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT FOR TRIANGLE PROJECT BETWEEN ONEIDA COUNTY, THROUGH ITS DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION, AND GRIFFISS UTILITY SERVICES CORPORATION  ]

ELECTRICITY CURRENTLY DOES NOT REACH OUT THERE, AND GUS IS THE SOLE PROVIDER OF ELECTRIC OF ELECTRICITY ON THE PARK. HERE WE ARE NOT ONLY EXTENDING SERVICE TO THE TRIANGLE, WE ARE INCREASING CAPACITY. CURRENT CAPACITY AT THE PARK IS FIVE MEGAWATTS AND THEY WILL BE DELIVERING 50MW AT THE END OF THIS PROJECT OUT TO THE TRIANGLE. TOTAL PROJECT COST IS PROJECTED TO FOR THE ELECTRICITY EXPANSION AND UPGRADE IS PROJECTED TO BE JUST UNDER 14 MILLION. AND 113 AND 13,000,697 FIVE INTO THE PROJECTED BUDGET. ON THE ELECTRICITY EXPANSION AND UPGRADES. AND GUIDANCE THAT GUS WILL DO THE WORK TO DESIGN AND INSTALL THE COUNTY'S. POPULATION BOARD, THAT WILL BE CAPPED AT 10,000,748 70. FOUR. THE COMMUNITY FOR YEARS AIMS TO THE SCOPE OF WORK, SO OUR CONTRIBUTION IS CAPPED AT 10,000,748 750, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAD CARVED OUT IN THE PAST. NEW YORK BUDGET FOR ELECTRICITY. SO ANYTHING ON THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE PROJECTING TO BE JUST UNDER 3 MILLION WOULD BE BORNE BY GUS. AND THE WE WILL FRONT THEM AN ADVANCE PAYMENT SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THE PAYMENTS ON EQUIPMENT AND BEGIN THE WORK. AND IT'S ALL SUBJECT TO FAST NEW YORK REIMBURSEMENT RULES. QUESTIONS? WHEN DO THEY START ALL THIS? DOES IT START? MY INTENTION IS THAT IF THIS AGREEMENT PASSES NEXT WEEK, WE WILL ISSUE THEM A NOTICE TO PROCEED. AND THE NOTICE TO PROCEED, PRIMARILY, WHAT THEY WILL DO RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE IS PLACE ORDERS FOR THE EQUIPMENT. THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT LEAD TIME ON THE TRANSFORMER. SO THE WAY THIS PROJECT WILL PROCEED IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BEGIN DESIGN AS WELL. WE ALREADY HAVE CONCEPTUAL. THEY'LL BEGIN FULL DESIGN AND BEGIN CONSTRUCTION. MOST LIKELY IN THE SPRING. THEY WILL BE ABLE. WE WILL DIG AND RUN ALL OF THE BANKS, AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO RUN ALL OF THAT TO GET OUT TO THE TRIANGLE AND GET EVERYTHING SET UP IN THE LAST PIECE WILL BE INSTALLING THOSE TRANSFORMERS THAT WILL ALLOW THE INCREASED CAPACITY. SO WE HAVE A PROJECTED CALENDAR OF WHEN THEY'LL THEY WILL BE ABLE TO RAMP UP CAPACITY OVER TIME. WITH THE FINAL PROJECTION OF CLOSING OUT THE PROJECT. BY THE END OF 2026. PORTION OF THIS IS THE LEAD TIME. THAT'LL BE THE FIRST THING THEY WILL ORDER AND BEGIN DESIGN AS SOON AS WE CAN. I CAN IMAGINE FOR ANY POTENTIAL CUSTOMER COMING IN WITH US, JUST LIKE WOLVES, THE POWER HAS TO BE

[00:15:04]

REQUIREMENTS THAT WE DO AND LOTS OF CAPACITY. THAT WAS WHAT WE PROPOSED TO DO. AND WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY MARKETING THIS SITE AS A SITE THAT WILL HAVE 50MW, YOU KNOW, WITH A PROJECTED TIMELINE OF 25 TO AND THAT'S 100% REIMBURSABLE THROUGH FAST NEW YORK. SO THE FAST NEW YORK GRANT TOTAL GRANT BUDGET WAS 26,000,000 IN 2023. AND IT IS 90% FUNDED BY THE STATE. SO THE COUNTY HAS TO DO A 10% INCREASE TO THE SYSTEM TO FILL IT, TO SPREAD THAT OUT. YOU KNOW, HOWEVER WE WANT OVER THE PROJECT FAST NEW YORK FUNDING INCLUDES FUNDING FOR ELECTRIC, SEWER, WATER. FIBER, OTHER UTILITIES. THIS PROJECT IS EXPANDING. THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE AT THE INTERSECTION OF 825 PERIMETER ROAD. SO THE WAY THAT WE HAD BUILT THE BUDGET WHEN WE WERE SUBMITTING THE PROPOSED, WE HAD DETERMINED THAT WE WANTED TO SEE A 10% COST THAT THE STATE CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE ELECTRIC WOULD BE THE TEN. ARE WE GETTING. GAS? WE'RE GOING TO END UP SHIFTING. OVERALL UNDER THAT PROJECT. THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTION WILL BE. QUESTIONS.

CALL THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED. PASSES. 2024 1027. THIS IS THE APPROVAL TO SET THE

[j. 2024-1027 – AIRPORT RE:     APPROVAL TO SET THE SALARY OF THE POSITION TITLE OF DIRECTOR OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (UAS) AT GRADE 46M, STEP 1, $103,144  ]

TITLE. GRADE 46. YES. IT'S A NEW POSITION. IT'S A NEW POSITION THAT WAS APPROVED IN THE BUDGET.

I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ONLY NEW POSITION IN THE BUDGET FOR 2025. IS THERE A JOB DESCRIPTION OR WHAT? THERE IS A JOB DESCRIPTION ACTUALLY GOING TO DO? YES. WAS IT ON THE BACK? IT'S IN THE PACKET THAT WAS JUST HANDED TO ME BY EDDIE. OKAY. I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE PACKAGE. YEAH. IT'S IN THE PACKAGE. I DIDN'T HAVE IT. I DIDN'T. PUT IT IN THERE. NO, NO I DIDN'T. I DIDN'T GET IT. ONLINE. OH. IS THAT. CAN YOU JUST LOOK AT IT? I DIDN'T GO ONLINE. I'LL GIVE IT BACK. GIVEN THE UNIQUE NATURE OF THE NEW YORK STATE TEST SITE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY ONEIDA COUNTY, AS YOU KNOW, WITH THE ACTIVE AIRPORT, IT REALLY IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE COUNTRY WITH AN ACTIVE AIRPORT. SO IT'S GOT A IT'S GOT A VERY UNIQUE NICHE THAT WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAXIMIZE OUR INVESTMENT, WHICH HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL AND ONGOING, ALONG WITH THE STATE AND THE FAA AND SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME PRIVATE COMPANIES THERE, TOO. SO THE THOUGHT WAS TO GET OUT THERE IN UAS LAND ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, MAYBE EVEN THE GLOBE. ESPECIALLY TO OUR ALLIES, AS YOU SEE WHAT YOU KNOW, JUST WHATEVER IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON IN, IN NEW JERSEY. AND TO BE QUITE HONEST, IN OTHER AREAS OF WAR TORN AREAS OF THE GLOBE, MANY MILITARIES ARE INTERESTED IN THIS, IN THIS INDUSTRY. AND HAVING THAT THAT RUNWAY THERE IS VERY. IT'S VERY UNIQUE. IT'S A UNICORN, TO BE QUITE HONEST. AND DISCUSSING THIS, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DISCUSSING IT FOR A WHILE NOW, WE FELT THE NEED WAS NOW TO GET OUT THERE AND HAVE SOMEONE OUT THERE ADVERTISING THIS, PUSHING THIS, HAVING MUCH MORE OF A PRESENCE IN THE TESTING FIELD, IN THE UAS FIELD. THROUGH A VARIETY OF MEANS, WHETHER IT'S CONFERENCES AND TRADE SHOWS AND ONLINE AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN TO GET THIS OUT THERE. I THINK THAT LAST PART IS WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. I WANT THIS BACK. NO, IT'S MY CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU. WE'LL MAKE COPIES. I WAS JUST GOING TO GET A COPY OF IT. THAT WOULD

[00:20:06]

EDDIE HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN THE DIRECTION TO START SPREADING THE WORD THROUGH HIS CONTACTS, TO GET THE WORD OUT THERE THAT THIS POSITION IS THERE. SO I THINK THE FAA AND SOME PRIVATE INDUSTRY PEOPLE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS. AND WE'RE GETTING WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING APPLICATIONS ALREADY. THANKS. THAT'S ALL I HAD. OTHER QUESTIONS. CALL THE VOTE. POST

[k. 2024-1029 – AIRPORT RE:     APPROVAL OF AMENDMENTS TO THE 2025 GRIFFISS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RATES AND FEES SCHEDULE – AIRPORT FINANCIAL PLAN  ]

LIKE SAY, A COMPANY COMES IN AND WANTS TO RENT FROM US, COME IN AN OPEN OPERATION OR A TEST.

BRING THEIR EQUIPMENT THERE. MANUFACTURE THERE THAT WE CAN ADJUST RATES FOR A TENANT VERSUS SOMEBODY THAT'S COMING JUST FOR A DAY. YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S ALL THIS IS, IS REALLY WE'RE JUST ADJUSTING THE RATE SCHEDULE SO THAT WE CAN WORK A LITTLE. IT GIVES US A LITTLE MORE LATITUDE ON WITH THE TEST AND WHAT WE COULD DO WITH OUR RATES AND FEES. SO IT'S AN AMENDMENT THAT I HAVE TO BRING TO YOU TO PUT INTO MY RATES AND FEES. IT'S ALREADY APPROVED, BUT IT'S JUST AN AMENDMENT. QUESTIONS. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED.

SECOND. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.