Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1974 [PAGE 249]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1973]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

239

2. All airport operators must submit an amendment to the airport's master security plan showing how the airport will provide at least one law enforcement officer at the point of final screening for each scheduled airline flight. After approval by Federal Aviation Administration, the iocal law enforcement program must be put into effect. Penalties for noncompliance with these requirements range up to $1,000 per day. 3. The airport operators must suhmit to and secure Federal Aviation Administration approval of an airport's master security plan showing how the physical facilities (fencing, screening, lighting, sterile corridors, etc.) will be upgraded to provide better airport security. While the airlines must provide personnel for the screening and searching, the airport operator (the University in the case of University of Illinois-Willard Airport) must provide the law enforcement personnel and the upgraded physical facilities. Since as of this date no federal or other funds are available to support the additional security burden, and after an analysis of all possible sources, the Director oi the Institute of Aviation has recommended that boarding passengers on all flights requiring Federal Aviation Administration security measures be charged a fee sufficient to defray the cost of the security needs at Willard Airport. The budget for security needswill depend upon the program as finally approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, Tentative estimates, on an annualized basis for law enforcement officers, collection costs, physical security needs, and other related costs, are approximately $100,000. A fee of one dollar per boarding passenger on all flights requiring Federal Aviation Administration airport security measures should provide the amount needed for current airport security needs. Any excess of funds beyond those required tojneet the new security requirements will be used to meet new crash, rescue, fire fighting, and safety requirements imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Authorization is now sought for the Institute of Aviation to collect regularly a fee of one dollar per passenger on all such flights departing from Willard Airport, as soon as possible, unless federal funds are subequently appropriated. The Chancellor at (he Urbana-Champaign campus recommends approval of the policy of making such charges and expending funds received for the purposes Indicated, with the understanding that adjustments in thefee may be recommended by the Chancellor from time to time in light of experience, changing requirements and conditions, and success in obtaining funds from outside sources. The Vice President for Planning and Allocation has reviewed this proposal and recommends its approval. I concur. In the general discussion Mr. Livingston reviewed in some detail the airport balance sheet and the annual "surplus," a portion of which has regularly been devoted to aircraft replacement and maintenance. He suggested that borrowing is a better procedure for plane replacement and expressed concern that there appeared to him to be a certain atmosphere of despair and pessimism as to the future of the airport and the University's jurisdiction of it. He also indicated that he felt the imposition of the security fee would provoke public relations problems. In the course of the discussion other Trustees, including Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Howard, and Mr. Hughes, spoke in support of continuing the replacement and maintenance fund for future capital needs of the airport, in particular the airplanes, representing as they do the essential capital equipment. It was also noted that no local support is provided for the commercial aspects of the airport in contradistinction with many other local airports in Illinois and elsewhere. President Corbally and others commented that there is a positive attitude about the future of the airport and confidence in its management. On motion of Mr. Howard, the recommendation was approved, Mr. Livingston asked to be recorded as voting no.