Rochester Airport Commission Meeting, June 2, 2026: Approvals, Event Recap, and Grant Adjustments
Rochester Airport Commission Meeting, June 2, 2026
The Rochester Airport Commission met on June 2, 2026, at 2:00 PM to approve items, receive financial and marketing reports, discuss a successful community event, and approve change orders for firefighting equipment purchases. The meeting adjourned at 2:18 PM.
Consent Calendar
- The agenda was approved with the removal of items 7C and 7D.
- Meeting minutes from the previous meeting were approved unanimously by voice vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the open comment period.
Discussion Items
- Airport Financials (April 2026): John reported that the airport company was at a negative $45,000 for the period, typical for early in the fiscal year. The airport expects to receive approximately $200,000 from the State of Minnesota for operating and maintenance, which has not yet been booked. The commission anticipates ending the fiscal year with a positive financial position of $300,000 to $600,000.
- Operational and Marketing Data (April 2026): John presented data showing a positive trend: passenger traffic was up 3% for the month and 14% year-to-date, with over 19,000 passengers in April. Load factors included 79% for Delta on the Minneapolis route (13,000 seats) and 74% for American (11,800 capacity, down 10% due to a shift to larger regional jets with fewer frequencies). Parking lot transactions and gross revenue are recovering. International customs activity for private aircraft is expected to decline due to Middle Eastern activity.
- Marketing Report & Event Recap: Mary reported on a “kickoff to summer” event held on June 1, 2026, originally planned to welcome the inaugural United flight from Chicago. Due to service rescheduling to October, the event shifted focus. It featured a custom song performance by singer-songwriter Corey, filmed for a music video and a third-year campaign for RST. Attendance was estimated at 1,200, with food trucks, activities, and a $750 flight voucher giveaway. The event was supported by Rochester City Music, Rochester Parks and Rec, and the RST team.
- JASB Ordinance Update: John noted that the recommended ordinance was forwarded to MINDAT in early May. MINDAT has 90 days to review and approve, with a deadline in early August. Upon approval, the ordinance will be circulated via DocuSign for commission signatures, then returned to MINDAT for official filing. Coordination with city GIS staff to update GIS layers is planned.
Key Outcomes
- Change Order #1 – Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC (7A): Approved for additional options on the ARFF vehicle. The state of Minnesota adjusted its funding share on the AIP-eligible portion, increasing the local share from $121 to $242. The change order was approved unanimously by voice vote.
- Change Order #1 – Clary Safety Equipment (7B): Approved for $38,100 to procure nine additional sets of protective clothing (turnout gear, boots, hoods, gloves) above the four federally eligible sets. The state will participate at a 70/30 ratio. Approved unanimously by voice vote.
- Items 7C and 7D Removed: Removed from the agenda for further counsel. Brett and another staff member will work on these, potentially calling a special meeting.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 2:18 PM.
Meeting Transcript
All right. It is exactly two o'clock and time to start the airport commission meeting uh dated June 2nd, 2026. And we have a quorum present. We don't have anyone online, so I don't think we need to do a roll call. Um we start every meeting with open comment period. We do have two individuals in the room. Would either of you want to comment during open comment period, or are you here for other parts of the agenda? Publicity. Okay, perfect. Thank you. Um we'll close the open comment period period. Um and uh we have the order of the agenda. Is anyone have any changes? Are we going to put that or dine? Maybe you'd like to say something. Yeah, we'd like to remove items 7C and 7D from the agenda. Okay, we're going to remove 7C and 7D with those changes. Um do you want to talk to the changes or just not now? Okay. Yeah, we'll just remove them for now and take a little counsel and move from there. Okay. Okay. Um, so someone move the amended to the agenda. Thank you, Randy. Second, second by um the administrator. All those in favor. I mean a vote. Okay. Hearing that, we have minutes of the airport commission meeting to approve. Part of the consent agenda. So move. Second. I second it. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Okay. Any nays? No. So we do have a couple of reports today, as we always do. Airport financials are one of the first things we talk about. And uh John, are you gonna do those or pass them off? Yeah, I'll just briefly walk through them. Kyle uh is on vacation today. Um this is through April 30th. Um, you know, again, typical of the first part of the year, we're in a negative financial position. Um quick discussion with Kyle about this. The airport company itself is about negative 45,000 dollars. Um all told, you know, this is the um uh financial picture of the airport and the municipality at the same time. Um we have received somewhere, I believe it's around 200,000 from the state of Minnesota for OM that's not been booked yet. Um so that's beginning to close that financial picture.
openpublica.com