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Votes at a glance: Commission approves minutes, grants, contracts, dues and director pay increase
Summary
At its Oct. 9 meeting the Oklahoma Aerospace and Aeronautics Commission approved minutes, multiple grant and consultant consent items, dues and sponsorships, a $2 million PREP commercial service request for Oklahoma City, a $1.618M BVLOS contract, classroom lab grants, and a 24% salary increase for the director.
The Oklahoma Aerospace and Aeronautics Commission took several formal actions at its Oct. 9 meeting. Below are the motions, vote outcomes and key details for each recorded action. All votes below reference the roll calls recorded in the meeting transcript.
Votes and key outcomes
1) Approval of minutes (09/16/2024 draft) - Motion: Approve minutes. - Outcome: Approved. - Vote (roll call excerpts): Commissioner Seth Phillips (Aye); Chairman Charles Ortega (Aye); Commissioner Ripps (Aye); Commissioner Blake Rainey (Aye); Commissioner Jerry Hunter (Aye). (Transcript roll call indicates unanimous approval of those present.)
2) Item 7 — Approval to proceed with legislative/congressional/regulatory agenda slate - Motion: Move approval to proceed developing the legislative slate (standardization items A & B, incentives, 5‑year ACP insertion into statute, advanced air mobility items). - Outcome: Approved. - Vote: Unanimous of recorded roll call (Phillips, Ortega, Ritz, Rainey, Hunter recorded as 'Aye').
3) Item 8 — NASEO annual convention report and approval of annual dues - Motion: Approve continued membership/annual dues for NASEO. - Outcome: Approved. - Vote: Unanimous of recorded roll call (Aye votes recorded for Phillips, Ortega, Ritz, Rainey, Hunter).
4) Item 9 — Airport Construction Grant Program (consent docket) - Motion: Approve multiple airport construction grants including (examples recorded): Enid Woodring taxi lane construction (~$1,300,000 total; department share $426,542.50); Watonga west side apron/partial parallel taxiway (project cost ~ $1,500,000; department share ~$683,741); Sand Springs Jet A fuel system (~$563,124; department share ~$281,562 under 50/50 fuel program). - Outcome: Approved. - Vote: Unanimous of recorded roll call (Aye recorded for Commissioners Phillips, Ortega, Ritz, Rainey, Hunter).
5) Item 10 — Airport project consultant task orders (consent docket) - Motion: Approve task order agreements for consultants on behalf of multiple airports (Clinton‑Sherman ALP/property map & terminal conceptual design; Atoka environmental assessment and land appraisal; Duncan pavement section design; Pawhuska survey/geotech and final runway design). Total amounts varied per contract (examples: Clinton‑Sherman conceptual terminal $33,500; Atoka EA/appraisal $169,900; Duncan pavement design $29,000; Pawhuska design $264,000). - Outcome: Approved. - Vote: Unanimous of recorded roll call (Aye recorded).
6) Item 11 — PREP (Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity) fund commercial air service application: Oklahoma City request - Motion: Approve application and allocate PREP funds (staff recommended up to $2,000,000) to Oklahoma City for commercial air service development; partnership to include Oklahoma City Economic Alliance and OKC Will Rogers International Airport. Local match $500,000 committed by Oklahoma City. - Outcome: Approved. - Vote: Unanimous of recorded roll call (Aye recorded).
7) Item 13 — Unmanned aircraft assistance contract award (Vigilant Aerospace Systems Inc.) - Motion: Enter into contract with Vigilant Aerospace Systems Inc. for Phase‑1 BVLOS radar/airspace installation for $1,618,000. - Outcome: Approved. - Vote: Roll call recorded affirmative votes from Commissioner Seth Phillips, Chairman Charles Ortega, Commissioner Lindy Ritz, Vice Chair Blake Rainey and Commissioner Jerry Hunter (yes:5; absent:2).
8) Item 16 — Aerospace education classroom laboratory improvement grants (consent docket) - Motion: Approve recommended grants to 12 school districts and institutions (sample recipients and amounts: Altus; Bridge Creek; Burns Flat‑Dill City; Durant; Jenks $38,500; Konawa $13,500; Oklahoma Baptist University $27,500; Perry $22,900; Putnam City Aviation Academy $40,000; Stillwater $20,000; Weatherford $10,000; Wright City $32,000). Staff recommended approval for all 12 awards. - Outcome: Approved. - Vote: Unanimous of recorded roll call (Aye recorded for Commissioners present).
9) Item 17 — Sponsorships consent docket - Motion: Approve two sponsorships, $25,000 each, for Women in Aviation Day (Dec. 6) and Aerospace Week activities including Aero Day at the Capitol (March 31). - Outcome: Approved. - Vote: Unanimous of recorded roll call (Aye recorded).
10) Item 21 — Schedule of 2025 commission meetings - Motion: Approve proposed 2025 meeting dates (with revised 9 a.m. start time). - Outcome: Approved. - Vote: Unanimous of recorded roll call (Aye recorded).
11) Executive session (Item 23) and subsequent action on director compensation - Motion (post‑executive session): Increase the director’s salary by 24% with annual reviews no less frequently than every 12 months. - Outcome: Approved. - Vote: Roll call recorded affirmative votes (Commissioner Seth Phillips, Chairman Charles Ortega, Commissioner Lindy Ritz, Commissioner Blake Rainey, Commissioner Jerry Hunter; yes:5).
Where to find details: Each consent item and contract is described in the meeting packet; staff presenters noted project‑level amounts and local matches where applicable. For items that listed multiple projects (consent dockets), staff included specific project costs and the department share during the presentations. For procurement and contract awards, staff noted the funding sources and next steps.
If a specific roll‑call name or amount is required for recordkeeping, the meeting transcript and packet should be consulted for the exact line‑by‑line entry; the transcript records the roll call 'Aye' votes for those present at each recorded vote.
