HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-01-21-HFAC-minHanscom Field Advisory Commission (HFAC)
Minutes — 21 January 2025
Prepared by Massport Staff
Video of HFAC Meeting on the Lincoln, MA TV Page:
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• Call to Order: HFAC Chairman Christopher Eliot called the meeting to order at 7:03pm
• Announcements:
• Chairman Eliot recording HFAC Meeting; greeted all to Jan 21st meeting pursuant MA Open Meeting Law
Minutes: The December 2024 Meeting Minutes were reviewed for approval
The December 2024 Meeting Minutes were approved 4-0 with the following amendments:
o Change "like" to "near" Hanscom Field in Agenda Items section
o Change "bird strikes" to "how drone weight limitations were determined" in Citizen Comments
o Add Sgt Robert Ahern to Attendees list
o Emily Mitchell not present to vote and Barbara Katzenberg abstained since did not attend December meeting
Cargo or Scheduled Commercial Passenger Services
• Amber Goodspeed stated there have been no requests for future scheduled passenger or cargo service
Monthly Noise Reports: presented by Amber Goodspeed
In December 2024 as compared to December 2023:
• 7am - l 1pm operations decreased 3.1% in December 2024
• Singles (including touch and goes) decreased 11.8% in December 2024
• Turbo activity increased 6.6% in December 2024
• Jet operations increased 5.8% in December 2024
• Helicopter activity increased 9.3% in December 2024
• Night Operations (1 1pm-7am) increased 20.5% with 166 in December 2023 compared to 200 in December 2024
• Terri Ackerman asked about increasing trend of noise readings from Site 36, Concord Wastewater
Capital Programs and Third Party Development Reports: Amber Goodspeed presented the Capital Programs and
Third Party Development reports and noted that:
• Salt storage is in use; final course of paving will be completed in the Spring
• Vegetation Management Plane consultants will file all Notice of Intents (NOIs) with local Conservation
Commissions during the first quarter of 2025
• Beta Technologies installation of electrical charger for Atlantic Aviation completed
o Electrical connection with Concord Municipal will occur in the Spring of 2025
• Hanscom Field Terminal building upgrades to take place in the second quarter of 2025
• Chairman Eliot queried how contracts are awarded for Massport airfield projects; prefers MA company gets work
o Amber Goodspeed will check if Massport gives preference to local/MA companies
Agenda Items: Topics discussed on published agenda:
Chairman Eliot opened discussion on letter Massport provided in response to MA Department of Transportation
(DOT) economic impact study; Chairman Eliot's perspective of economic benefit approximately $310 million
o Chairman Eliot would like to soften the confidence in MA DOT study for legislators to base decisions on
o Chairman Eliot wants to separate airport economic benefit from cost in terms of pollution and noise
o Chairman Eliot brought suggestion forward that local Towns fund own economic study; Terri Ackerman and
Margaret Coppe did not believe that the Towns would be willing to spend the necessary money
o Jennifer Boles suggested to request the MA State Auditor for a review of the MA DOT economic impact study
o Barbara Katzenberg concerned about what legislative decisions are being made based on MA DOT study
o Thomas Hirsch pointed out that by not charging sales tax on aircraft parts used for repairs provides incentive to
get aircraft repaired in MA and that economic benefit of employing mechanics outweighs loss of tax revenue
o HFAC voted unanimously to send response letter drafted by Chairman Eliot to Massport
o Terri Ackerman will research if a review of the MA DOT economic impact study is under the purview of MA
State Auditor; draft letter to State Auditor Diane DiZogglio approved by the HFAC
• Chairman Eliot attempting to get $15,000 in MA State budget for the fine particulate report routed through Lincoln
• Chairman Eliot posted final draft of the summary of Airport Community Concern for airport noise to the website
• Chairman Eliot shared draft Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) statement
o The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved a fluorine -free foam (F3) with conformance to
Military Specification (MILSPEC) as a replacement to PFAS
o Lindsey White will research FAA transition plan; Amber Goodspeed confirmed Massport will follow FAA plan
o HFAC voted unanimously to post PFAS statement on the website under topics of Community Concern.
• Chairman Eliot updated and reorganized material on the website
o Sections available on the website are: Community Concerns, provisional calendar, HFAC records and acronyms
o Mike Rosenberg sent old Meeting Minutes which will be digitized and saved to the HFAC website
• Citizen Comments:
o None submitted
Other Business: The date for the next HFAC meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on 18 February 2025
New Massport CEO Rich Davey will be presenting at the January 28th Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS)
meeting via Zoom
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:18 p.m.
Attendees: Christopher Eliot, Terri Ackerman, Margaret Coppe, Thomas Hirsch, Barbara Katzenberg, Amber
Goodspeed, Mark Wimmer, Mike Vatalaro, Lindsey White, Cindy Baxter, Christopher Boles, Jennifer Boles, Patty
Dahlgren, Alexandra Eliot, Ira Goldman, and Kathleen Kean