February 15, 2008
Dear Airport Tenant:
2008 was an active year for SATA, and we are sending this brief update to summarize our major activities of the year. Our successes this year are due to our members, and we want to thank all of you for your participation, guidance and support.
We would also like to announce that our next annual meeting will be in June instead of March this year. We are still arranging for a speaker and will let you know when we settle on a date.
History and Mission
The Spokane Airport Tenants Association was formed in 1994 by the tenants at Felts Field as a way to further the interests of the airport with the Airport Board, elected officials and the airport staff. After several years of inactivity, we held a general meeting in March, 2007 with over 100 people attending. At that meeting, we elected a new Board of Directors and the Board subsequently elected officers who agreed to serve for the coming year. We agreed on a mission statement for SATA that explains our purpose and will guide our actions. It is:
To protect and promote the viability of the Spokane Airports by actively engaging elected officials, Airport Board Members and Airport Staff to secure fair and just leasing policies, rational development of airport properties, and safe and sound airport operations.
Our airports are an important community asset and collectively we have a responsibility to ensure that community decision makers understand the value of the airports and have the information needed to make enlightened decisions.
2008 in Review
During the year, our officers focused on keeping in touch with elected officials and the airport staff, representing the interests of pilots and tenants. Our relationships are cordial, and it safe to say that SATA is recognized as a viable and credible organization.
March Membership Meeting - We held a meeting for all members in March, 2008 and were fortunate to have Mary Verner, Mayor of Spokane, attend the meeting and make a few comments. Mayor Verner is a pilot and also a member of the EAA. The mayor spoke for several minutes discussing her approach to the Mayor’s job and what her job entails. She talked about her experiences as a pilot and also as a skydiver. The members of SATA greatly appreciated her attendance and her gracious comments.
Dave Holmes, a SATA member and Airports Board member, made a presentation reviewing his activities on the Spokane Airport Board. Dave described the makeup of the Board and generally the types of issues they address. He gave a positive view of the way that the airport is managed, and briefly described some of the major projects. We also elected board members Jeff Hamilton and Mike Scalera for new three year terms. At the meeting, there were also brief reports on SATA’s involvement in the airport signage project, the Fairchild Joint Land Use Study, and the periodic hangar inspections conducted by the airport staff.
October Membership Meeting – We held a second meeting for all members in October, 2008 and were fortunate to have Mark Richard, County Commissioner, attend the meeting and make a few comments. Commissioner Richard’s talk elicited a lively question and answer session about county government and it was greatly appreciated by the audience.
John Richardson was introduced as the Chairman of our new Membership Committee. John is working to make sure that all tenants are aware of SATA and the benefits to supporting the organization. We had a brief discussion of the TSA proposed rulemaking on GA airports and encouraged all members to comment on the proposal. We also announced that we had begun work on a new SATA web site that is being developed at no cost to the organization. A brief discussion of FBO status was held, and SATA continues to provide our pilot perspective to the staff as they consider alternatives for Felts Field.
Other Matters - SATA Directors became aware in late 2008 of a proposed change to zoning regulations for the City of Spokane Valley (COSV) regarding the density of housing near Felts Field. After extensive Board discussions, SATA representatives joined with others from the Airport Staff, the Washington Pilots Association (WPA) and the Washington State Department of Transportation in making comments at a COSV planning commission hearing. The issue is complex and is still under advisement at the City Council level. If there is interest, we will briefly discuss it at our next meeting.
Our board is considering having SATA join the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce to raise our visibility in the local business and political community.
Recently, SATA provided our email addresses to the research company doing a survey regarding FBO services at Felts Field. If you did not get the survey, please make sure that your email address on the enclosed reply card is correct.
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We had a busy year in 2008 and want you all to know that our success is due to your support. We are always interested in hearing from you with regard to issues that would be appropriate to address – and hope that you will feel free to contact Directors personally.
As individuals, we have limited ability to influence the operations at our airports. Collectively, SATA has real influence with elected officials and the Airport Board. Therefore, we ask everyone to encourage your fellow pilots to join SATA. We thank you again for your support and look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.
Your SATA Board of Directors:
Jeff Hamilton, John Hartis, Nancy Holmes, John LeFriec and Mike Scalera