AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Austin1971

There is no way on God's green earth that anything will get done in six months, especially a temporary international satellite facility.

Sure they can do it. They gave the rendering to Siemens and they said no problem we can build it.

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[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

Wait a minute. Are you saying the city might have screwed something up, again...How dare you LOL

Yes, let's revoke their salaries...although, a few of them don't even accept a salary (way to go Bill Spelman), and Chris Riley rides his bike to work.

[KevinFromTexas]

A little more on the temporary terminal expansion. And hey, I don't know what they're complaining about, this is for customs and immigration. If they weren't checking everyone coming here, you know they'd be complaining about that, too.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/...y-2404794.html

City to consider $5.5 million customs facility for F1 flights

By Ben Wear
Updated: 10:40 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Published: 10:29 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The City of Austin, concerned that the customs and immigration facility at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is too small to effectively handle potential Formula One charter flights, could spend almost $5.5 million on a temporary facility under a no-bid contract coming before the City Council on Thursday.

The city does not intend to ask organizers of the November race to help pay for the airport terminal extension and customs facility, officials said, arguing that efficient processing of travelers will help burnish the city's international image and that the facility would be available to handle large commercial flights from Europe that the city hopes to attract.

Jim Smith, executive director of the city's Aviation Department, said the city intends to greatly expand the permanent customs and immigration facility at the airport in the next few years and that the sole source contract with Siemens Industry Inc. to build, equip and maintain the terminal addition would fill that gap.

[Spaceman]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

Wait a minute. Are you saying the city might have screwed something up, again...How dare you LOL

morrison says that she has great concerns about the temporary terminal..this shrew is amazing...she is against any growth of any kind. I wish she would publish her view of Austin's future..

[East7thStreet]

That out of scale rendering of the temporary terminal still cracks me up. Derek Zoolander would be pissed.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

morrison says that she has great concerns about the temporary terminal..this shrew is amazing...she is against any growth of any kind. I wish she would publish her view of Austin's future..

Agreed, she is just undeniably anti growth or progress for this city to become a true International airport. What is she scared of? Too many Europeans coming? She is nothing more than the puppet of the ANC, she takes her orders from them plain and simple. Fact is Auatin needs year around customs for international flights. She is stupid if she thinks only time it will be used for is F1. Um hello Morrison wake up. Have you ever heard of a thing we have here called SXSW? she lives under a rock because she chooses to.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

morrison says that she has great concerns about the temporary terminal..this shrew is amazing...she is against any growth of any kind. I wish she would publish her view of Austin's future..

We were incredibly lucky with the last city council elections. With Martinez, Spelman, and Leffingwell just re-upped for another term, the feared Morrison-Tovo power shift was thwarted.

The temporary terminal will probably be approved 5-2, or maybe 4-3 (don't know about Cole). It's not taxpayer money, it's airport revenue, and the plan was to have the terminal and facilities expansions in place permanently in 5 years... and that wouldn't change... so it's just a question of whether we want the capacity on-line now for the expected visitors.

I think the only potential snag will be if the council has some questions that can't be answered yet by the airport officials. Like if they are absolutely sure it can be completed by November -- that's a super short timeframe.

[Spaceman]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Agreed, she is just undeniably anti growth or progress for this city to become a true International airport. What is she scared of? Too many Europeans coming? She is nothing more than the puppet of the ANC, she takes her orders from them plain and simple. Fact is Auatin needs year around customs for international flights. She is stupid if she thinks only time it will be used for is F1. Um hello Morrison wake up. Have you ever heard of a thing we have here called SXSW? she lives under a rock because she chooses to.

I am worried about the next election..She or shea will be confident due to the numbers in May's election...LL and Martinez didn't blow their opponents away as I would have hoped..The ANC and the other no-growth groups are already working for that next election. These people are thinly disguised socialists who hate capitalism and any of its attributes, i.e., growth. The actual physical environment of the Austin area means nothing to these folks..They thrive because there is no patterned opposition or harrasement of them..

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

morrison says that she has great concerns about the temporary terminal

What exactly were her concerns? She (and her concerns) weren't mentioned in the earlier article or this latest one Kevin posted.

It's not like the City doesn't have other options. One that was mentioned in the latest Austin American Statesman article was:

The alternative to building a temporary facility, Smith and Spelman said, is to inform charter operators that they will have to land in Dallas-Fort Worth or Houston instead. Race fans would then have to take connecting flights to Austin or get here via car or bus.

And if they were to do that, the passengers wouldn't necessarily have to take a "connecting" flight or come the rest of the way via car or bus. They could simply get off the plane at Dallas or Houston, go through customs, and reboard the flight they just got off of and continue on to Austin, where they'd be able to deplane at the main terminal. If I were a passenger on one of those flights (and the new temporary facility that the City Council is considering wasn't able to be finished in time for the first race) I'd rather go through customs in another city, then continue on to Austin rather than flying into Austin nonstop and then having to wait possibly several hours getting through customs here.

And DFW/IAH aren't the only airports that could be used. Flights from Mexico could clear customs at San Antonio. Flights from the Pacific Region could use LAX or Phoenix, or Las Vegas

The other option is to use the old low-cost terminal. Remember - when it was in use, it was used for arriving and departing passengers, so it had a large area for people to wait for their outbound flight, check-in counters, a restaurant, a small gift shop and baggage claim facilities.

If it were just used for customs purposes for these charter flights, you wouldn't need the restaurant, gift shop or check-in counters. You'd just need the actual inspection facilities, a baggage claim, and enough space for people to stand in line while they're waiting to go through customs.

When the race is over and these charter flights leave, they can simply depart out of the main terminal. (Only international passengers arriving into Austin have to go through customs. Departing international passengers flying out of Austin clear customs at the first point of entry in whatever country they're flying to.)

I can't imagine it being quicker to build an entire new temporary international facility than it would be to revamp the inside of the existing low-cost terminal.

So before I jump on the anti-Laura Morrison bandwagon saying she's against international growth, or doesn't want Europeans coming to Austin, I'd at least like to know what her concerns were. Was she concerned that the new facility would be a no-bid project? Was she concerned that it might not be finished in time for the first race?

What were her concerns?

[Spaceman]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

What exactly were her concerns? She (and her concerns) weren't mentioned in the earlier article or this latest one Kevin posted.

It's not like the City doesn't have other options. One that was mentioned in the latest Austin American Statesman article was:



And if they were to do that, the passengers wouldn't necessarily have to take a "connecting" flight or come the rest of the way via car or bus. They could simply get off the plane at Dallas or Houston, go through customs, and reboard the flight they just got off of and continue on to Austin, where they'd be able to deplane at the main terminal. If I were a passenger on one of those flights (and the new temporary facility that the City Council is considering wasn't able to be finished in time for the first race) I'd rather go through customs in another city, then continue on to Austin rather than flying into Austin nonstop and then having to wait possibly several hours getting through customs here.

And DFW/IAH aren't the only airports that could be used. Flights from Mexico could clear customs at San Antonio. Flights from the Pacific Region could use LAX or Phoenix, or Las Vegas

The other option is to use the old low-cost terminal. Remember - when it was in use, it was used for arriving and departing passengers, so it had a large area for people to wait for their outbound flight, check-in counters, a restaurant, a small gift shop and baggage claim facilities.

If it were just used for customs purposes for these charter flights, you wouldn't need the restaurant, gift shop or check-in counters. You'd just need the actual inspection facilities, a baggage claim, and enough space for people to stand in line while they're waiting to go through customs.

When the race is over and these charter flights leave, they can simply depart out of the main terminal. (Only international passengers arriving into Austin have to go through customs. Departing international passengers flying out of Austin clear customs at the first point of entry in whatever country they're flying to.)

I can't imagine it being quicker to build an entire new temporary international facility than it would be to revamp the inside of the existing low-cost terminal.

So before I jump on the anti-Laura Morrison bandwagon saying she's against international growth, or doesn't want Europeans coming to Austin, I'd at least like to know what her concerns were. Was she concerned that the new facility would be a no-bid project? Was she concerned that it might not be finished in time for the first race?

What were her concerns?

She stated that the money could be spent elsewhere in the city but she didn't specify..Go ahead and jump on the bandwagon, she is against virtually any growth in the city..F1 and everything it represents repulses her..This is an angry, troubled woman..Look at her, supposedly she has money but it looks as though she cuts her own hair..

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

She stated that the money could be spent elsewhere in the city but she didn't specify..Go ahead and jump on the bandwagon, she is against virtually any growth in the city..F1 and everything it represents repulses her..This is an angry, troubled woman..Look at her, supposedly she has money but it looks as though she cuts her own hair..

But that money would be coming from the airport fund, generated by airport revenues, and can only be used for improvements to the airport. Or so I thought. So it can't be used elsewhere in the city.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

She stated that the money could be spent elsewhere in the city but she didn't specify.

Do you have a source for this, or did you happen to attend the City Council meeting where she said this? At any rate, if that's the case, she doesn't have a leg to stand on. The earlier AAS article stated that (emphasis added)

The airport would pay for construction of the facility, which would be ready in time for November's race, Halbrook said. The money would come from revenue from parking, rental car fees and airport concessions.

Money generated by by parking, rental car fees and airport concessions cannot be used elsewhere in the city. It has to be used on the airport.

I notice in the the latest article (emphasis added) that Bill Aleshire is quoted

"That blows up the City Council's claim that they weren't putting any city money into the F1 deal," Aleshire told the American-Statesman in an email. "Now, the City is going to spend over $5 million on immigration processing of rich foreign visitors to the four-day F1 event. How much more of this will Austin taxpayers tolerate?"

I don't really understand his argument here. The taxpayers aren't paying for it. The City may be paying for it up front, but it will be repaid with airport funds, which - again - cannot be used elsewhere in the City.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

Do you have a source for this, or did you happen to attend the City Council meeting where she said this? At any rate, if that's the case, she doesn't have a leg to stand on. The earlier AAS article stated that (emphasis added)...

She said that in a KXAN news interview. At least that where I heard the words come out of her mouth. That band wagon is coming up behind you. You better jump on it before it passes you by.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

She said that in a KXAN news interview. At least that where I heard the words come out of her mouth. That band wagon is coming up behind you. You better jump on it before it passes you by.

Well, if the airport revenue thing is true, then this would be a chance to make both Morrison and Bill Aleshire look like uninformed idiots! If only a major media outlet would point that out.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

I am worried about the next election..She or shea will be confident due to the numbers in May's election...LL and Martinez didn't blow their opponents away as I would have hoped..The ANC and the other no-growth groups are already working for that next election. These people are thinly disguised socialists who hate capitalism and any of its attributes, i.e., growth. The actual physical environment of the Austin area means nothing to these folks..They thrive because there is no patterned opposition or harrasement of them..

Dont worry about that, there is a plan in the works to counter act the NIMBYISM in this city. You will hear more about it in less than a week.

[Austin1971]

G

[LoneStarMike]

Lots of good info and supporting documents from KUT News:

Commission Clears New Airport Terminal for Liftoff
By Wells Dunbar, KUT News
June 27, 2012

...With the inaugural Circuit of the Americas race coming in November, the terminal is on a tight timeline. Should the project be approved, modular, “turn key” construction means the terminal should be open by November 1.

That was my main concern - that it couldn't be completed in time for the first race, but I guess they can put up those modular facilities up pretty quickly.

Here's a link to the presentation, showing renderings and the traffic flows within the facillity.

Austin Bergstrom International
Airport
GateOne ‐ CapacityPlus
Presented by Siemens Industry, Inc.

And here is a link to the backup information:

International passenger arrivals for COTA events

It explains what the original planning assumptions, were and what the current planning assumptions were with regards to the number of international passengers flying into the airport and lists the 3 options to deal with the current planning assumtions.

1. Do nothing and make passengers clear customs in other cities.
2. Do nohting and have people clear customs in Austin - but with a lengthy wait.
3. Build new temporary facility that can handle 440 passengers per hour.

The current planning assumptions include at least 6 wide-body jets with a capacity of 200-400 passengers; at least 10 mid-sized jets with a capacity of between 100-140 passengers; and in excess of 150 charters in planes with a capacity below 100 passengers.

[hookem]

Well, in their infinite wisdom our city council decided they know how to run an airport better than the Airport Advisory Committee and ABIA itself. They rejected the temporary terminal 7-0.

So come November, they should put up signs saying "Welcome to Austin! Your 3-hour layover was brought to you by:" Then have photos of Tovo and Morrison.

Seriously, what a bunch of idiots. Cole still thought it was coming from taxpayer money when she was about to vote against it. Leffingwell corrected her, but it was too late and she had to vote against to save face. I guess in retrospect outsourcing the Airport operations would have been a good idea.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by hookem

Well, in their infinite wisdom our city council decided they know how to run an airport better than the Airport Advisory Committee and ABIA itself. They rejected the temporary terminal 7-0.

So come November, they should put up signs saying "Welcome to Austin! Your 3-hour layover was brought to you by:" Then have photos of Tovo and Morrison.

Seriously, what a bunch of idiots. Cole still thought it was coming from taxpayer money when she was about to vote against it. Leffingwell corrected her, but it was too late and she had to vote against to save face. I guess in retrospect outsourcing the Airport operations would have been a good idea.

Not only was the proposed terminal expansion temporary, it was also non-bid. ABIA should have fast tracked the permanent terminal expansion instead a year ago. I dislike spending lots of cash for temporary buildings when the same money can be used for permanent buildings. There's a reason most government projects require bids - avoiding graft that's ever present in non-bid projects. Note: ABIA did not solicit this from Siemens, Siemens took the innovative and proposed it all by themselves. I doubt there was any negotiations over price. Graft is graft.

[Austin1971]

I