Submitted by Susan Hardee Steger
July 13, 2015 1:00 a.m.
On Wednesday, July 8, four members of an Airport Evaluation Committee gathered in the city commission chambers to hear presentations from McGill Aviation and 8 Flags Aviation in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the City of Fernandina Beach. The purpose of the RFP was “to solicit a Fixed Based Operator (FBO) to occupy space in the north [Fernandina Municipal Airport] area and partner with the City in the development of the new [Welcome Center] complex.”
On a 3 – 1 vote, the evaluation committee selected 8 Flags Aviation to partner with the City in the Fernandina Beach Airport Welcome Center project. On August 4, the commission will be asked to approve the evaluation committee’s recommendation and request the city manager begin contract negotiations with 8 Flags Aviation. Although the FAA and FDOT will supply most of the Welcome Center funding according to the RFP a financial commitment from the chosen FBO is required.
The evaluation committee members were selected by City Manager Joe Gerrity who also serves as airport manager, and Andrew Holesko with Passero & Associates. Those selected were Ronald Price, an airport and aviation consultant with 42 years of experience; Paul Booton, retired military officer and owner of an information system consulting business whose clients include city and county governments; Chip Seymour experienced in airfield development; and David Byers who worked with Passero & Associates on the Fernandina Municipal Airport Master Plan (See previous article). Byers was the only member to vote for McGill Aviation.
8 Flags Aviation, President Brian Echard is former executive, entrepreneur, and an experienced pilot. Michael Hodges, president and CEO of an aviation consulting firm ABS Aviation, will serve as president of operations for 8 Flags Aviation. Echard’s presentation before the committee identified four key goals:
Introduce a first-class FBO facility and operation to Fernandina Municipal Airport visitors, as well as to based tenants.
Regain fuel sales that have been lost in recent years.
Increase fuel revenues to both the City and the FBO.
Work with the City to incorporate a formal marketing plan into FBO operations to increase potential business and development opportunities for the Airport and the City.
McGill Aviation has served as FBO at the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport since 1998. Sean McGill gave the presentation and listed the following reasons to select his company:
Knowledgeable
Small, local business in it for the long-haul
Experienced
Stable
Known quantity – Do what we say, say what we do.
History of investing in airport infrastructure
Part of community
On March 18, 2014, the city commission unanimously approved 8 Flags Aviation as a second FBO after almost two years of “exchanges between the parties and complaints to the Federal Aviation Authority regarding what appeared to be the city’s reluctance to accede to 8FA’s choice of location.” Click here for previous article.
According to Echard, “There is still a lot that needs to be negotiated as far as details with the facility and how the financing piece will work.” Once the commission grants approval and negotiations with the City are completed and approved, Echard will explore the logistics of opening his FBO prior to the completion of the Welcome Center. The targeted date for Welcome Center completion is early 2018.
At the last commission meeting the fac5 thatvthe airport needs more t-hangers. In fact an interested party wanted to build them for profit. My question is, will the welcome center bring in any funds for the city? And, if t-hangers are rented out with funds going to FB, then why not build hangers instead of using money for a welcome center? I’ve always wondered who would use the welcome center? Do people who fly their jets into Fernandina airport really hang out at the airport? Or, do they hop in their waiting limo and head to the Ritz?
Karen – Please allow me to answer your questions as presented.
“….will the welcome center bring in any funds for the city?” No, the airport is operated as an enterprise fund and thus all monies generated will remain with the airport and will not go to the City.
“….why not build hangers instead of using money for a welcome center?” The Welcome Center concept has been on the books for a number of years and the FDOT funds are designated for it. We could either build the Welcome Center or forfeit the funding. The $$ would be reallocated to another airport project elsewhere in Florida and not our airport. This was the last year that funding would be allocated to us by FDOT. Additional t-hangers are proposed for our airport, with shared funding, during the next 5-6 years.
“I’ve always wondered who would use the welcome center?” This is a very good question! The original concept for a welcome center on the east side of the airport was discussed for a number of years by various City Commissions and AAC’s and your question always came up. It was the position of this Airport Advisory Commission that no one would use it unless it was contiguous with a full service FBO (Fixed Base Operator). When the City Commission finally decided to avail the city of the FDOT funding, partnering with an FBO, an RFP was issued and the bidding FBO’s showed a marked preference for building on the north side of the airport. Thus, we are now on track to construct this building on the north side. The FBO will use the building for their day to day business operations and thus generate $$ in lease and fuel flowage payments. The facility will have space available for community use (conference room, meeting room, observation area, etc as well as airport manager/operations offices). FDOT has been pushing all coastal airports to build a category 5, hardened structure that can be used as an emergency operations site during severe weather events. The building will not be used as an EOC (emergency operations center) for local law enforcement and fire rescue; those entities already have EOC’s.
“…. Do people who fly their jets into Fernandina airport really hang out at the airport?” Yes, the pilots do. The pilots are vital to the operation of the airplanes, BTW. The jet aircraft owners or lessors of these expensive aircraft however, do spend a bit of time at the welcome center/FBO awaiting the arrival of their aircraft or walk through as they make their way to their ultimate destination. It is important to present the best possible amenities in order to attract returning customers (for the little guys too 🙂 )
….Or, do they hop in their waiting limo and head to the Ritz? See the above.
Sincerely,
Richard Gray
Airport Advisory Commission Chairman
My Concern is, once we have a new welcome center, which will be payed for through grant funding from FDOT and FAA Is the Air Port Authority going to be able to maintain that facility, with income it generates? or will it be just another Albatross around the necks of local taxpayers that don’t utilize it. Much like our Marina and Golf course.? All these operations, must be able to sustain themselves. We seem to continue to dig are selves deeper in a financial hole.
What a surprise, McGill which won its suit against the city did not get the award…sarcasm off.
This folly seems entirely based upon the availability of grant money rather than actual need. “We would lose the funding from the state if we don’t build the welcome center ” seems to be insufficient reason to actually build one. Citing that pilots of rental planes hang around the airport is comical given I doubt many airplane charterers are concerned one whit about what the pilots do when not actually ferrying them about.
A hardened evac site is also interesting. I thought that part of the island was a category A evacuation zone….does the building come on a floatation devise too?
Vince, while your cynicism is noted, your comment about the award decision casts unfounded aspersions on the integrity of the gentlemen that were on the evaluation committee. Perhaps when the bid documents are open you will take the time to review them and see what an objective decision on your part would have been.
dave perhaps I was a tad insensitive with my comment so I will take your advice and view the evaluations. Thanks for noting that.
That said I am not convinced the AP needs this center. While it is correct for some to say we do not incur much of a financial cost, someone had to apply for the grant. The FDOT I do not believe initiated the grant on their own. I also wonder if the issue of the potential costs of a fire station were considered if it is determined one is needed due to increased AP activity.
Vince, actually this is the second time around for the Welcome Center proposal. Several years ago FDOT offered this money and it was first accepted and then turned down by the City Commission. I believe it was a 50/50 share but could be wrong. I recall hearing several local airport folks stating that FDOT was quite upset with the decision at the time and it impacted future grants for the next several years. Knowing this was in the master plan and initially designed for the new development over on the east side of the airport (access off Jamestown Road), FDOT came back with the offer but said if declined this time it would likely never be offered again (never say never). I think it will be a good addition to the airport as the current facility leased by McGill is quite worn and not very efficient. Of course, final cost to the City will be an important factor. While not serving as an emergency operations center per se, in the event of an emergency where access to the island over the bridge is prevented, the airport becomes the natural staging site for relief efforts due to its proximity to the major roadways on the island.
Dave,
I do agree with you that the McGill facility is worn out. My concern is the degree of replacement needed.
On the grant issue, I don’t think grant agencies just send grant money without a prior request. In this situation perhaps the request goes back to the time the AP was given reliever airport status (which request seems to have even surprised the sitting city commission at the time). One reason the City made the upgrade status request was for the AP to obtain a higher status on the grant priority list. This was circa 1999.
I am in favor of any grants for increases in avionics, runway upgrades, and/or other safety matters at the AP. I am not in favor of runway expansions which I fear this whole process is headed.
I am with Mr. Cavallo on this. With a specific goal to work with the City to incorporate a formal marketing plan into FBO operations to increase potential business and development opportunities for the Airport and the City – this all sounds like an effort to expand operations at the airport. I fear that the real reason for the Welcome Center is “if we build it, they will come”. Could be an albatross around the neck of the city’s budget if the gamble does not pay off. And what about us residents sitting underneath the flight plans if it does? Find money and fix the existing airport up. We are 20 minutes from JIA – why saddle the city with all this?