Tuolumne County Grand Jury • 2022-2023 • Agency Response
Response to: 2022-2023 Airports Final Report

The following is submitted in response to the 2022-23 Grand Jury Report as it pertains to the Airports. The*

Published: August 15, 2023 7 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 4 findings

F2 Page 3
1: At a cost of almost $4 million, Project 1906 excavated, rebuilt, and repaved the Airport's ramp, apron, and taxi lane areas. Little or no transition work was done, resulting in major operational safety issues with many hangars. Response: Requires further analysis. Unfortunately, the work was completed in 2019 under the supervision of former staff. Public Works has confirmed the surface grades in some locations could be improved.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Page 3
1: The transition strip between the new and old pavement should be corrected. (F2.1) Response: The recommendation has not yet been implemented but will be implemented in the future depending on the availability of resources.
F3 Page 4
1: The airport is presently in good condition; although, the taxiway needs crack repair. Response: Agree. Unfortunately, "through the fence" deeded access prohibits the airport from qualifying for funding through the FAA. The airport does not generate enough revenue to cover the cost of operations, maintenance, and upgrades.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
Page 4
2: The Pilot Controlled Lighting system should be assessed for improvement. (F3.2) Response: The recommendation has been implemented, with a summary regarding the implemented action. The lighting problem appears to be intermittent and it is being assessed. The County has budgeted funds to replace the Constant Current Regulator; however, this may not be the appropriate repair as some of the outdated lighting system has multiple problems throughout the system. This lighting system likely requires replacement at a great cost to the County. Without federal funding or a new revenue source, this large project will not be completed. The airport does not generate enough revenue to cover the cost of operations, maintenance, and upgrades. AIRPORTS - Grand Jury Response | 7 Chapter 4. Airports Financial Review Grand Jury
F4 Page 5
3, F4.5, F4.6) Response: The recommendation requires further analysis pending the economic/feasibility study. AIRPORTS - Grand Jury Response | 7 . . . . County Administration and the Auditor-Controller have been exploring this option. Combining the two airports into one fund will result in an immediate loss of $10,000 annually. Furthermore, combining the airports into one fund does not change the fact that is not enough revenue generated to support the needs of either or both airports.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Page 5
1: To increase airport revenue generation, it may help if the County Administration takes a more active role in budget oversight and airport operations management. (F4.1. F4.2, F4.3) Response: Already implemented. County Administration works within the resources available. As such, administrative oversight has been thorough and consistent.
F5 Page 7
1: The Board of Supervisors is not receiving valuable and sufficient input, that the AAC can provide, to be able to make decisions about the airports. Response: Agree. On August 8, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved a new Airport Advisory Committee. The Clerk of the Board will post notice of vacancies and begin gathering applications for Board consideration.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
Page 7
2: The rules governing the AAC should be rewritten in the following way to encourage more participation: - A board member is not required to attend. Frequency of meetings should be set by necessity and need, not necessarily monthly. Meeting announcements should be targeted and distributed in such a way as to encourage both public and aircraft owner/user participation. Response: Disagree. The Board of Supervisors approved a new Governing Body Handbook in 2023, which clearly defines the role of each body and its responsibilities. This single handbook was developed to create a single place of reference for all Board created governing bodies and applies to such equally. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the above findings and recommendations. Sincerely, ATTEST: Heather Ryan Kim MacFarlane (Aug 16, 2023 08:31 Heather Ryan, Sr. Board Clerk 23 15:54 PDT) Tracie Riggs (Aug 16) Clerk of the Board of Supervisors Kathleen K. Haff, Kim MacFarlane, Tracie Riggs, I hereby certify that according to the provisions of Government Code Section 25103, delivery of Board Chair County Administrator Public Works Director this document has been made. Heather Ryan Sr. Board Clerk By: Heather Ryan Deborah Bautista Saenan Whatman MILIN DIFTH Deborah Bautista (Aug 15, 2023 16:40 PDT Kaenan Whitman (Aug 16, 2023 09:51 PDT) Justin Birtwhistle (Aug. 15, 2023 16:50 PDT) Kaenan Whitman, Justin Birtwhistle, Deborah Bautista, County Clerk/ Auditor-Controller Assessor-Recorder Treasurer-Tax Collector AIRPORTS - Grand Jury Response | 7

* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.