Airport dispute spilling over

Disputes tend to escalate before they are mediated or settled. The contest between DeKalb Aviation, LLC and the City of DeKalb serves as an example. Read the email discussion that follows:

—– Original Message —–

From: Mac McIntyre
To: Biernacki, Mark
Cc: Kris Povlsen
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 10:53 AM
Subject: Airport/Cornfest

Mark,

I received the following email this morning. Before publishing I’d like to get the City’s response.

Mac McIntyre

—– Email sent to McIntyre —–

City of Dekalb
200 S. 4th St  Room 203
Dekalb, IL

Mayor and the City Council:

Current Events:

News Headlines have informed the public that there are problems at DTMA.

Here is one.

The latest news suggests that Corn-Fest is utilizing DTMA again.  Well, we have unresolved problems with that action that have been voiced over the last two Corn-Fests and have gone ignored by the City management.

We (members of the Dekalb Aerodrome Association) have tried to support the City by allowing use of our lease-hold and access to several of our building units.  Damages have resulted, unrepaired and unremunerated, by the City.  Utility expenses have been absorbed by our Association and certainly our Association has been railroaded into losing our freedoms to use our Master Leased spaces to access our Public Airport facilities.

We have been offered no legislative input to these subjects.  Looks like another year is making no difference.
Hence, we of the Dekalb Aerodrome Association, who hold Master Lease rights to all of the property surrounding the Corporate Condo’s at 2900 E Pleasant Street as outlined in the City of Dekalb Master Lease request that the City of Dekalb move any Carnival, Music, and Corn-Fest Activity that diminishes our freedom to operate out of our Master Leased premises and access to the two public, runway environs that we are legally allowed access under all existing City and Federal Agreements.
The security of our buildings and immediate property have been compromised and we have worked very hard to assist the City in each Corn-Fest year, all uncompensated!  It has not worked to our satisfaction and we are raising our voices to your management.

We also ask that all repair demands, from the past, be resolved immediately.

If the City refuses to acknowledge this request and proceed as last year, $10000.00 is due, in advance, for the removal of service of our building from the airport services that we, by Lease, enjoy.

We also request that all proceeds from the sales of related to Corn-Fest go directly to the DTMA airport for funding of operations immediate to the airport.

The news headlines suggest that the City will save a lot of money related to Mr. Biernacki’s reports.  Well, he has never considered our involvement or the expenses that have gone unreported by your airport manager.

Sincerely:
Dekalb Aerodrome Association

—– Reply from Mark Biernacki —–

From: Biernacki, Mark
To: Mac McIntyre
Cc: Povlsen, Kris ; Cleveland, Tom ; Lisa Angel – SSM ; Lisa Wilcox ; Shawn Lowe – SSM
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 1:19 PM
Subject: RE: Airport/Cornfest

I am not familiar with DK Aerodrome. Is this Ed Kling’s group?  If so, all of corporate condo tenants have been compensated by Corn Fest with vip passes, electrical expenses, etc.  The tenants at the airport (all of them, including Ed Kling) also have their rents waived for the 3 day weekend during Corn Fest . Corn Fest reports that they follow up with all of Ed’s clients, tenants, etc. and no problems have ever been reported them. In fact Corn Fest said that after the last fest, Ed mentioned to the organizers “another great fest – you guys rock. Can’t wait until next year”.   I’m told there was some damage to a garage door in one of the hangars but that there are conflicting stories as to whether this occurred during corn fest.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. We have not received this correspondence directly from DK Aerodrome. I trust it is in the mail

Mark Biernacki
City Manager

DeKalb Aerodrome Association appears from a Google scan to be an association of hangar/condo owners located at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport. An owner or tenant association.  The email may have been inadvertently sent to me but it addressed the Mayor and elected City Council members.

The residents of DeKalb, its corporate citizens and the local, state and federal taxpayers are substantially invested in DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport. The City of DeKalb is not in the position to continue to provide airport funding from its challenged General Fund but it must because that huge investment of federal grants evidently came with clawback provisions. Each year the city council is told that DTMA is on the brink of turning the corner to financial self dependency. There is simply too much invested and at stake for such disputes.

The CornFest Committee is now placed in the middle of a dispute it had nothing to do with. Its volunteers will likely be subjected to criticism that is unjustified. The location decision between downtown and the airport is emotional without this dispute.

Lack of professionalism.

The Mayor and City Council should conduct a hearing or investigation into this matter and DTMA operations in general. This is not the expected or desired result of public-private partnership.