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Recommendation to receive and file the attached Airport activities report. (District 5)
DISCUSSION
Included is the Monthly Airport Activity Report for December 2006.
Airport Passenger, General Aviation (GA) and Cargo Activity - The Monthly Airport Activity Report provides monthly and year-to-date statistics for airline passengers (total and enplaned), aircraft operations by user category, and cargo carrier tonnage. Total passenger counts through December were 2,758,362 compared to last year's 3,034,032, a decrease of 9.1. The decrease in total passengers is attributed primarily to the discontinuance of service by American Airlines. GA operations, year-to-date, compared to last year are up 6.1 %, (343,255 operations vs. 323,454). Cargo volumes, year-to-date, are down 8.0% (49,947 tons vs. 54,298).
Noise Activity - The Monthly Airport Noise Statistics Report includes four separate reports with current month and year-to-date totals. The four reports are as follows:
· Noise Complaints - Summarizes noise complaint information for commercial (which includes cargo carriers), GA, and other operations.
· Noise Complaint Plot Map - Identifies the origin of the complaint.
· Commercial Late Night Activity - Summarizes activity between 10:00 p.m. to 11 :00 p.m. and 11 :00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. by airline.
· Noise Violations - Summarizes violations for airline and GA operations. Provides a complete listing of each violation, includes violator's name, date and time of violation, aircraft type, aircraft noise level, and the time specific allowable noise level.
The Airport's Noise Office receives and investigates noise inquiries and complaints from local residents and residents who live outside of Long Beach. For the month of
December, the Noise Office received 89 complaints compared to 152 complaints received during the same period in 2005. For 2006, the Noise Office received 1,589 complaints compared to 2,274 during the same period in 2005, a decrease of 30.1%
Further analysis of the December noise complaints revealed the following:
· Total number of complainants: 32
· 62% (55 of 89) of the complaints were related to operations between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. .
· 12.3% (11 of 89) of the complainants reside in Seal Beach or Huntington Beach.
The above referenced information is displayed on the Airport's website (www.lqb.orq).
Other Airport Activity
§ HOLIDAY ACTIVITY UPDATE
The Airport handled as many as 4,138 vehicles in its parking facilities during the peak holiday period. With normal Airport parking capacity of 4,023, the additional cars were accommodated by renting a portion of the Veterans Stadium parking lot (and implementing additional shuttle service).
Over half of the Airport's normal parking capacity is off-site and only available on a month-to-month basis. Although the Airport was able to rent a neighboring tenant's parking structure (to relocate employee parking) in 2005, this same facility was not available in 2006, and is not expected to be in the foreseeable future.
The demand for parking during the recent holidays did not include several air carrier slots (which were implemented subsequent to the, holiday period) and the 20 commuter carrier flights, which are anticipated to be in operation prior to the 2007 holiday period.
During the week preceding Christmas, the Long Beach Poly Jazz Choir and the Everyday Holiday singers performed throughout the Terminal.
Airport staff and tenants participated in the Carmelitos Housing Development Toy Drive, and the Salvation Army Day of Feeding.
§ PORTRAITS OF HOPE - Long Beach Airport Control Tower Project
Work sessions for the Portraits of Hope, Ameriquest Soaring Dreams Air Tower Project at the Long Beach Airport will continue throughout February and early March.
Installation of the artwork on the Long Beach Control Tower is expected to occur in late March or early-April 2007.
§ REGIONAL ISSUES
On Thursday, February 8th, Councilwoman Rae Gabelich and Chris Kunze, Special Advisor to LB Airport, attended a meeting of the SCAG Aviation Task Force and a workshop for the Southern California Regional Airport Authority (SCRAA). Assistant City Attorney Mike Mais also attended the SCRAA workshop.
The SCAG Aviation Task Force adopted a motion recommending several items to the SCRAA Board regarding its mission, composition, and governance structure. The recommendations, which mirror those proposed by Mayor Bob Foster in his letter to SCRAA dated January 2, 2007, addressed airport proprietorship, self-determination rights protection (e.g., Long Beach Airport Noise Compatibility Ordinance), broader participation including voting rights for Long Beach as an airport proprietor, and eliminating certain powers such as eminent domain and the ability to operate airports. In addition, the motion recommended that SCRAA consider abandoning its Joint Powers Authority (JPA) form of governance, and form something like a "Structured MOU". The Aviation Task Force recommendation was to be provided to the SCRAA Board later in the day, with the understanding that it would not be an official SCAG recommendation until reviewed/approved by the SCAG Regional Council.
At the afternoon SCRAA workshop, many entities commented with similar suggestions to those provided by the City of Long Beach. The following comments were made: 1) the City of Long Beach would formally respond to the questions outlined in the letter from the SCRAA Chair, Councilman Rosendahl, City of Los Angeles, by February 28th, 2) that SCRAA give consideration to the Aviation Task Force recommendations, including broadening the voting base of SCRAA to include commercial airport operating entities such as Long Beach, and 3) that a "non-JPA" form of governance, such as an a "Structured MOU", be considered. Assistant City Attorney Mike Mais will assist in drafting the response prior to the February 28th deadline.
The County of Orange made a detailed presentation, which included the statement "Supervisor Moorlach met recently with Supervisor Knabe and Long Beach Mayor Foster. During that meeting, Supervisor Knabe indicated that he believed that the basic strategic goal of SCRAA would be to shift commercial service to Ontario, Palmdale and San Bernardino International Airport - not to other currently restricted airports such as Long Beach and John Wayne Airport". We obtained a copy of Orange County's presentation, which will be forwarded to the Mayor and Councilmembers.
§ COMMUNITY OUTREACH
The Airport participated in the 2nd Annual Fourth District Snow Day, held on January 27th at Whaley Park. Airport staff responded to inquiries and handed out model airplanes, and aircraft posters.
§ OTHER ACTIVITY
The FBI recently recognized Sergeant John Blood, Long Beach Airport Police, for his outstanding assistance in the joint investigative efforts related to the bomb threat that occurred on August 26, 2006. Sergeant Blood was credited with identifying and detaining the. subject who had placed a 911 call from an airport pay phone after he had been denied a boarding pass for the flight. The subject admitted to making the hoax threat to keep the flight from leaving before he could board.
The subject pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conveying false information of a threat against an airplane and was sentenced on Monday, January 29, 2007, to six months home detention and ordered to perform community service.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is not time critical.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
CHRISTINE F. ANDERSEN
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
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APPROVED: |
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GERALD R. MILLER |
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CITY MANAGER |