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Madera council asks staff to rewrite airport advisory rules after quorum, expertise concerns
Summary
City manager outlined the Airport Advisory Commission’s role and quorum problems; council debated restoring county representation, requiring aviation experience or a mixed‑expertise membership, and using alternates or a smaller voting panel. Staff was directed to return with draft bylaw/resolution options.
Mayor Gallegos and City Manager Rodriguez opened a discussion about the Airport Advisory Commission’s rules and procedures after the council asked that the item be revisited.
Rodriguez said the commission currently has seven members appointed by council nominations passed through the mayor, advises on non‑legislative airport operations, and has no land‑use authority. He told the council the AAC has struggled to form quorums and referenced a 2022 council resolution that had modified the committee’s composition and bylaws.
Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez and several council members said the commission’s composition has limited usefulness when meetings lack people with aviation knowledge. Council members proposed options including restoring two county seats, designating at least one member with aviation‑related experience or a primary lease on airport property, reducing the number of voting members to five with two alternates, or otherwise clarifying appointment residency requirements. Council also discussed whether a councilmember could serve as an advisor on the commission.
A public commenter, Mike Pistorowski of DMP Development, urged the council to require aviation experience and said a fixed‑base operator or other lessee would have valuable perspective. City staff suggested operational changes as well, including allowing the committee to set its own meeting schedule instead of meeting the current fixed quarterly time and adding attendance requirements and notifications to council for absenteeism.
Council members asked staff to draft options, including a possible pilot change to meeting times, and to return with a proposed resolution or municipal code amendment as appropriate. City Manager Rodriguez said staff would research whether changes to appointments require a municipal code amendment or could be done by resolution and bring recommended language back to council.
The discussion concluded with council direction to return with proposed language and options for membership, alternates, residency guidance and attendance rules for further consideration.
