We want to commend the City Council for going forward on Ron Case’s motion to engage MAC in an ongoing dialogue. MAC is putting an immense amount of time and energy into reevaluating all the reliever airports. Flying Cloud is part of MAC’s reliever system. Eden Prairie has an extensive agreement with MAC concerning Flying Cloud so Eden Prairie definitely needs to be involved with any discussions about the future of Flying Cloud.

The aviation system locally and nationally is in a state of upheaval. Airlines are going bankrupt. The FAA is cutting funding to General Aviation. Security systems at GA and reliever airports are non-existent. There is not enough money to go around. There’s talk about new technology that will revitalize the industry: Air Taxis; Very Light Jets and Sports Jets – all operating out of reliever or General Aviation airports to the detriment of the hubs by taking business away from already failing airlines. In short, the aviation environment is changing dramatically.

Locally MAC has been heavily funding the relievers with taxpayers’ money for years, but now it needs to focus its finances on MSP and Northwest Airlines. Even with rate increases, the relievers cannot support themselves, so this reevaluation of the relievers is primarily about finding new sources of income. Obviously, selling one or two of the six relievers would solve many of MAC’s financial problems. Flying Cloud operations are down 40% in the last ten years and it is surrounded by residential development. It is some of the most expensive land in the Twin Cities and of the six airports it is the most marketable.

MAC is not known for sharing information. For example it took MAC over a year to respond to a letter from the city requesting information. Relying on MAC to be forthcoming and cooperative is a mistake the city already made once – when MAC weaseled out of the 1978 commitment to the city – Ordinance 51. Ordinance 51 was supposed to protect the city from any further expansion after 1978. The city has to aggressively be involved with MAC.

As Ron Case also brought up at the council meeting, it is time to revive the Eden Prairie Airport Commission. The final agreement with MAC is a long and comprehensive document covering many issues. The city really has no central "clearinghouse’ for citizens to go to get answers and voice complaints about the airport. An Eden Prairie Airport Commission is one way the city can monitor information about Flying Cloud and get an ongoing indication of MAC’s compliance with the agreement.

The city needs to continually monitor and maintain an open dialogue with MAC. Like it or not, when Eden Prairie and MAC both signed the Final Agreement, they became partners in issues concerning Flying Cloud.

Zero Expansion/talktrans community members
www. zeroexpansion.com
www.talktrans.com
transportationtalk@yahoo.com
Zero Expansion/talktrans is a politically diverse Eden Prairie group dedicated to public awareness on local airport issues.