Steven Cornell

The joint board meeting initiated with the annual reorganization, including the election of the Chair, where Brian Hammond was nominated and confirmed. Following the invocation and pledge, the board addressed public comment for consent and administrative agenda items. Key discussions included the approval of fiscal year rates and charges recalculation for the international airport for FY22, which showed record passenger traffic (11.1 million) and significant revenue over budget in car rentals, parking, and concessions. The board also approved amendments to use agreements with United Airlines and Delta Airlines concerning space expansion and gate closure, respectively. Furthermore, an agreement extension with Host International and Parodies for food, beverage, and retail concessions, extending terms to 2035, was approved. Other administrative items included approving a recognition agreement with AVCO RSW Cargo LLC regarding a mortgage consent for their new air freight building, amending a lease agreement with the Department of Financial Services for continued occupancy at Page Field North building, and approving a five-year contract for insurance brokerage services with Alliant Insurance Services. Finally, performance reviews for the executive director were discussed, addressing merit increase guidelines.

The meeting commenced with a reorganization of the committee, resulting in the nomination and election of new Chair and Vice Chair positions. A significant portion of the meeting involved honoring a long-serving employee, Richard Keane, for his nearly 34 years of service in the maintenance department and various other roles since 1989. Key agenda items addressed included the approval of a piggyback contract with Motorola Solutions for Public Safety communication products and services, resulting in a potential price discount of up to 27 percent. The committee also approved an amendment to extend a lease for TSA office space for one year pending terminal expansion. Furthermore, amendments were approved for the lease of hangers at Page Field with Paragon Airplane Leasing Company, increasing space for parking. A major action involved approving an agreement for permanent repairs to roof, drywall, and firewalls at Page Field buildings damaged by Hurricane Ian, with a contracted amount over $2.3 million. The committee also addressed the adoption of a new personnel policy, aligning with county standards and state law, and decided to hear oral presentations regarding airport parking and shuttle services, setting the order for those presentations.

The joint meeting between the Lee County Port Authority and the Airport Special Management Committee commenced with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. A special retirement ceremony was conducted for Chief Tracy Young, who completed a 30-year career with the department, following his official retirement date of January 26, 2023. The consent agenda, comprising 15 items, was approved unanimously without discussion. Under the administrative agenda, the Board approved several items including a third amendment to the lease of hangers at Page Field for Paragon Flight School to increase parking space; a one-year lease extension for TSA office space at Southwest Florida International Airport; a contract with Motorola Solutions for Public Safety Communications equipment not to exceed $120,000 annually; a contract with Graybar Electric for electrical and lighting products not to exceed $200,000 per year; an agreement with Christell for necessary repairs to various hangers and buildings at Page Field damaged by Hurricane Ian, totaling $957,000; and a contract amendment with Stantec for construction engineering inspection and environmental oversight services related to the remediation of the former hydrant fueling system. The Executive Director reported on new service announcements by Breeze Airways to Hartford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island.

The meeting proceedings commenced with congratulations for staff members achieving professional certifications. Key agenda items included the approval of actual fiscal year 2023-2024 rates and fees for South Florida Airports, which resulted in airline refunds due to higher-than-anticipated revenues and savings in insurance and utilities. The board also addressed an amendment to the Delta Airlines use and lease agreement regarding a slight reduction in leased space due to the Terminal Expansion Project. Further discussions involved approving pricing and terms for an OMNIA contract with CDW, covering IT equipment and VMware infrastructure renewal. The committee considered and ranked qualified submittals for Construction Manager services for the Runway 6-24 Rehab Project, ranking Owen Ames Kimble as number one after receiving only one proposal. Additionally, the committee ranked Michael Baker International as the top firm for Construction Engineering Inspection Services for the Airport Public Safety Building. The meeting concluded with updates from the Executive Director regarding recent concession openings, the success of the Thanksgiving remote parking lot, and the airport team being recognized as the top fundraising team for the Lee County Heartwalk. A reminder was also issued regarding the next board meeting date.

The meeting addressed several administrative items. A key discussion involved approving an amendment to the professional service agreement with Commercial Property of Southwest Florida for an additional land study at Southwest Florida International Airport, covering both Phase One and Phase Two, driven by higher-than-anticipated logistics and warehouse demand in the area. The committee also reviewed proposals for a new airport website design, recommending the top-ranked firm, Fruition, and discussed ranking proposals for a Ground Transportation Management System software solution, favoring Gatekeeper Systems. Additionally, the board approved a negotiated service provider agreement renewal with BMS Cat of Florida for emergency services.