BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL HEARS DEBATE ON SKYDIVING AT AIRPORT

  

Fervent—and often heated—discussion punctuated the Brenham City Council’s meeting today (Thursday) concerning a skydiving operation possibly coming to the Brenham Municipal Airport.

During a workshop, the council heard from representatives from Skydive Freedom, who is interested in subleasing a commercial hangar at the airport to open a skydiving business, as well as several stakeholders at the airport.  Discussion on the item took over an hour, with voices raised frequently.

Chuck Akers, Board President and Gulf Regional Director of the United States Parachute Association, said the concerns about the operation are understandable, but good communication is paramount to resolving them.

 

The city is working on a lease agreement with Skydive Freedom for a primary parachute landing zone to be located to the east of Aviation Way and in the undevelopable floodplain.  The agreement would include a one-year initial term with an automatic option to renew for a period of five years.  The lease agreement would require Skydive Freedom to maintain the 3.59 acre land lease.

Much of the discussion revolved around safety concerns about a proposed secondary landing zone, which would be located between the taxiway and the runway.  Some in attendance said that pilots could feel uncomfortable flying or landing at the airport with the added activity.

Akers explained that from the center of the landing area for both the primary and secondary zones, there must be 165 feet free and clear of all obstacles, noting that the taxiway and runway themselves are not considered obstacles.  He said any pilots in the area are informed before takeoff and before jumpers exit the airplane, adding that, per protocol, skydivers below pattern altitude, which is typically 1,000 feet, will not cross a runway.

Worries were also presented about who would enforce safety regulations and take on liability at the airport, with some suggesting a paid airport manager, rather than an airport liaison, should handle the responsibility.  Brent Nedbalek of Aviators Plus, and a former ex-officio member of the Airport Advisory Board that is being dissolved, said the council needs to strongly evaluate this and make sure all concerns are accounted for.

At the end of discussion, Tony Cascino, managing partner of Skydive Freedom, said the company would work with the city to remedy the issue of the secondary landing space if that is the primary hang-up to operating at the airport.

Also at today’s meeting, the council:

• Approved a lease agreement with Mindy Canion of Canion Kountry Bakery to lease the restaurant portion of the terminal building at the airport. The initial term of the lease will be for one year, with the option to renew in one-year increments automatically for two years.  Per the agreement, Canion’s annual rent will be $6,000 for the first year, after which payment will be annual rent plus 3 percent of the net income from all food and beverage sales.  The restaurant must be open at least five days a week for eight hours a day, and Canion will be responsible for all utilities and upkeep of the interior of the building.  The restaurant must be open no later than 60 days from the date the contract is signed.
• Approved a license agreement between the city and 100 Alamo Investments, LLC to authorize a new staircase at the back of the Grand Leader Building at 100 East Alamo Street. Approval is dependent on approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness by the Historic Preservation Board.
• Approved a professional services agreement with Strand Associates, Inc. for engineering services related to the Blue Bell Aquatic Center therapy pool parking lot. The total agreement will be $64,500.
• Approved a temporary resale amendment to the system water availability agreement between the city and the Brazos River Authority. The agreement allows for the city to resell excess water on a temporary basis.  City staff will come back to the council for the consideration of an agreement between the city and Dow Chemical for the resale of the raw water.
• Approved a proposal from GrantWorks for professional grant administration and/or planning services for the American Rescue Plan Act.
• Recognized Brenham Police Officer Jimmy Ha, newly promoted to corporal.