Mike Cooke

The meeting included a closed session to discuss real property negotiations concerning rent and terms of rental payments for 10266 Truckee Airport Rd with Truckee River Ventures Inc, dba Lift Truckee. Following the closed session, the Board moved an agenda item to award the Airport Office Building RFP ahead of consent items. Key actions included the authorization for the General Manager to enter into lease negotiations for the Airport Office Building. Consent items approved included monthly service bills and fees for November and December 2025, and Policy Instruction 110 regarding personnel policies. A Districtwide Employee Performance Award Bonus of $600 (Gross) for each employee for FY 2025 was approved following discussion. The Board received the annual training presentation from District Counsel. An action item concerning Truckee Library Funding resulted in a consensus for the General Manager to negotiate a funding agreement with the Friends of the Truckee Library for a potential contribution of approximately $2 million. Discussions also covered potential hosting of a Board development workshop centered on self-assessment and staff feedback, committee assignments, and reports from the Truckee Tahoe Workforce Housing Agency, Town of Truckee River Revitalization Steering Committee, Climate Transformation Alliance, ACT Board of Directors, and TNT-TMA. Management reports included updates on the 2026-2028 Strategic Plan Priorities, and the Finance and Administration Report.

The meeting began with a closed session to discuss anticipated litigation and conduct a General Manager performance review. Following the closed session, the regular meeting covered consent items, which included the approval of minutes from prior special and regular meetings in October 2025, monthly service bills, a contract award for landing and overnight parking fees, and an amended Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tahoe City Golf Course. Special presentations included annual reviews of partnership programs with the Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District, Aviation STEAM programs (Mission to Mars Summer Camp and Civil Air Patrol), Wildfire Mitigation Projects, and the Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe. An update was provided on changes to the Brown Act (CA SB 707). The Board approved a three-year renewal of the service contract with the Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe for STEAM Coordinators. Discussion ensued regarding issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a long-term lease of the Airport Office Building, with a consensus to revise the draft RFP and seek counsel feedback before presenting a final draft or considering direct negotiation at a subsequent special meeting. Committee reports were noted, and management teams presented updates on the General Manager's report, Operations, and Finance. Finally, the Board selected and appointed the Board President, Vice President, and Internal Auditor for 2026.

The primary focus of this special meeting was the Airport Office Building, specifically finalizing a decision regarding whether to conduct a Request for Proposal (RFP) or negotiate directly with the existing tenant. Staff presented an overview of the draft RFP and timeline. Following extensive discussion, including input from numerous visitors concerning the draft RFP, the Board reviewed suggested edits to the draft, including clarifications on tenant responsibilities (property tax and utilities), deadlines for questions and submissions, and revisions to the scoring rubric to include 'economic value to the constituents'. A straw poll indicated majority support for proceeding with the RFP. The Board ultimately approved the draft Request for Proposal as amended for issuance on December 12, 2025. The meeting also included a closed session for a Public Employee Performance Review concerning the General Manager, which resulted in no reportable action.

The primary agenda item involved considering authorization for the General Manager to enter into a $2M funding agreement with the Friends of Truckee Library (FOTL) for the construction of the new Truckee Regional Library. The discussion detailed that the new library is a multi-jurisdictional effort designed to replace the undersized 1975 facility and serve as a critical community emergency and resilience resource, providing ADA compliance, backup power, and high-speed broadband access. Strong local support is evidenced by the passage of Measure G, a parcel tax. The report highlighted that committed funding totals almost $6.0 million, with Measure G projected to provide approximately $20 million. The fiscal impact analysis indicated funding could be sourced from 2026 Operating Strategic Initiatives or District Equity, projecting an Equity balance of $11,191,197 on 12/31/2026. Investing in the library aligns with the Airport District's mission by supporting regional training, education, and job promotion, as well as addressing emergency services infrastructure deficiencies.

The special Board workshop reviewed flight procedures and community outreach strategies. The board discussed the flight procedure feasibility study, outreach meetings, and neighborhood fireside chats. They reviewed and provided edits to the draft micro site for community outreach meetings. There was discussion about Board members attending public outreach meetings and concerns about triggering the Brown Act. The board also discussed digital meeting rooms and the need for the outreach site to be mobile-friendly. The framework for regional fireside chat breakout rooms was reviewed, with consensus to update the framework and examples.