Airport board asks city manager to notify SUU that Dave Sundell will be point of contact under existing MOU

The Hurricane Airport Board voted to ask the city manager to send written notice to Southern Utah University (SUU) naming Airport Manager Dave Sundell as the board’s designated point of contact under an existing memorandum of understanding.

Board members discussed the MOU’s limitation that the City Manager is the official point of contact unless the city manager designates a replacement in writing or by email. Members said the board’s intent is not to rewrite the MOU but to have the city manager send a short designation email so Sundell can interact directly with SUU administrators and pilots.

Why it matters: Board members said direct contact with SUU could help with noise-abatement outreach and allow airport staff to build ongoing operational relationships to reduce community impacts.

Board members debated whether to formally revise the MOU. Several said it was simpler to have the City Manager send a designation email under the MOU’s current language, which allows the manager to designate a new point of contact in writing.

The board moved and seconded a recommendation that the City Manager send a letter or email to SUU designating Dave Sundell as the airport’s point of contact. Members voted the motion passed by voice vote.

Board members assigned follow-up actions: staff will draft the proposed wording, the department head will review it, and the board asked that the item be placed on the next meeting agenda for status update to confirm SUU received the notice.

Members repeatedly linked the MOU discussion to ongoing noise-abatement work with SUU — board members said SUU’s helicopter operations have limits in the MOU (number of helicopters, time-of-day curfew and on-station time) but do not explicitly define flight patterns, so improving contact was a priority to address student/instructor turnover and reinforce noise-abatement requests.