The Cottonwood City Council went into executive session on Tuesday, Jan. 7, for legal advice on a resolution passed by the Clarkdale Town Council on Dec. 10 demanding that Cottonwood further restrict flight training operations at the Cottonwood Airport.
The Clarkdale Town Council’s Resolution 1722 argues that the quality of life for Clarkdale residents has declined due to noise from repetitive flight training at the Cottonwood Airport, as aircraft in the airport’s traffic patterns pass above Clarkdale. It lists actions for the city of Cottonwood to take, such as requesting that Cottonwood compel flight schools not based at the field to follow the airport’s noise abatement practices and that the Federal Aviation Administration conduct a noise study.
The noise abatement practices are optional, not mandatory.
Four residents from Cottonwood and Clarkdale spoke about the airport during the public forum. J.B. Grisham asked that the council reinstate the airport working group. He said that the group had three meetings last year and were told to wait to reconvene until the city hired a new airport manager.
“We’re a very organized group,” Grisham said.
“We have a load of vetted information regarding Cottonwood Airport operations past and present, ERU [Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University] operations and FAA guidelines for airport operations. We have valuable solutions for the oversaturation of flight training taking place over our little city.” Grisham said that he felt that the committee had been shut down and swept under the rug and that the situation regarding the airport noise and flight training has worsened without the group discussing the issues.
Marylou Rose complained about changes to flight patterns at the airport and the lack of transparency regarding those changes, as well as a potential increased exposure to leaded aviation fuel. The changes recently made to flight patterns at the Cottonwood Airport were implemented to reduce noise exposure to individuals on the ground.
Council members requested that staff update them on the hiring process for an airport manager at a future meeting to keep the public informed on the recruiting process.
The council also reappointed Randy Garrison as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission and approved funding for the Mingus Wastewater Treatment Plant Direct Potable Water Reuse Study.
