Airport Community Roundtable Mission Statement: To work collaboratively with the City of Charlotte Aviation Department (Airport) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with broad-based community input into airport-related noise impacts and to find, where possible, practical solutions and recommendations for the FAA to consider when determining aircraft operating procedures at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Information: There are many partners involved in ensuring safe and efficient aircraft operations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). The Airport is responsible for managing airfield, terminal and support facilities for airlines and other related businesses that provide air service to the Charlotte region. The FAA is responsible for managing the National Air Space, aircraft flight routes and for providing safe and efficient direction and procedures to aircraft crews that are arriving to or departing from CLT. At the request of the FAA, the Airport is establishing the Airport Community Roundtable (ACR) to provide neighboring communities with a forum for the FAA and the Airport to collaboratively discuss concerns regarding aircraft noise. The Airport will convene the ACR and serve as facilitator for the meetings. The FAA, airlines, and the Airport will serve as nonvoting advisory members of the ACR, which will conduct meetings with the purpose of discussing and, possibly, proposing recommendations for aircraft operating changes at Charlotte Douglas International Airport to the FAA.

The Airport’s and FAA’s intent with creating the ACR is to inject broad-based community input into noise-related discussions, and to move the noise discussion beyond the airing of individual and neighborhood-specific complaints toward a cooperative effort to identify practical solutions and recommendations that properly balance noise and efficiency related concerns for FAA consideration; which must approve changes that would apply to aircraft operating procedures and to most noise abatement regulations and procedures.

Therefore, the ACR’s meetings will focus on developing technical recommendations, with constructive feedback from the Airport and FAA, rather than providing a general public discussion forum. While conducting its work, the ACR must consider such things as air safety requirements, current operating conditions affecting air traffic patterns, existing and emerging technologies that affect aircraft movements and performance, roles and responsibilities of government and business entities related to aircraft noise, and experiences of or impact to other airport communities in addressing noise issues when developing recommendations to the FAA.

In 2020, the ACR formalized an initial set of recommendations to the FAA after three years of work. This list of recommendations, known informally as the ‘slate’ represented the first phase of work for the ACR. The ACR may develop additional sets of recommendations going forward.

Following the above formal community input to the proper controlling entities, the ACR will, working together with the Airport and FAA, serve in a pro-active manner towards future noise concerns in the Charlotte region, including continued engagement with residents, Airport stakeholders, and elected officials.

Due to the technical nature of the subject matter, the FAA, airlines, airline/aviation-related industry groups, and representatives from the Airport will join the ACR at its meetings to provide technical guidance, answer questions and provide constructive feedback as needed.

The Airport will also inform elected officials and/or their staff, as well as, community business organizations of the meetings and welcomes them to attend ACR meetings.

ACR Membership and Governing Rules:

1. Using flight track data associated with past and current departure and arrival routes and based on the location of citizen noise complaints, the Airport has identified the primary impacted areas as those communities located within Mecklenburg County and portions of Gaston and York (South Carolina) counties. ACR membership is comprised of 25 representatives from the following areas:

• One (1) member from each of the seven (7) City of Charlotte City Council Districts
• One (1) member from each of the six (6) Mecklenburg County Commission Districts
• One (1) member from each of the seven (7) Mecklenburg County cities and towns (Charlotte, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville)
• One (1) member from Mecklenburg County
• One (1) member from Gaston County
• One (1) member from Lincoln County
• One (1) member from York County, South Carolina
• One (1) member from Central York County, South Carolina

2. The Airport will solicit applications for each of the 25 designated seats and will only consider applicants that reside within the area they are seeking to represent; i.e. a citizen seeking to represent Charlotte City Council District 3 must reside within Charlotte City Council District 3. Where overlap exists between districts an applicant may apply to represent any area that he/she resides within – however, each member can only represent one area.

3. The Airport will convene a selection panel to select ACR members comprised of Airport Staff and ACR Chair and Vice Chair – primary considerations for selection to the committee will be;

• Residence within a designated area
• Ability to commit time to attending/participating in the meetings
• Demonstration that the applicant represents the interests of the area
• Commitment that the member has no conflicts of interest in representing his/her designated area. Possible conflicts of interest could include, the member working for the Airport or a tenant of the Airport, the member having a directing financial interest in the Airport or a tenant of the Airport, the member having a legal claim related to aircraft noise against the Airport or a tenant of the Airport.

First selection preference will be given to residents that have previous noise complaints filed with the Airport. The selection panel will not consider technical knowledge of the aviation industry as selection criteria to the ACR.

In the event the Airport is not able to locate a representative for the ACR, secondary selection measures may be used, including but not limited to: community leaders, HOA representatives, and appointees.

4. At the first meeting of the ACR, the ACR members will discuss and appoint a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.

5. The ACR Chairperson will work with the ACR and Airport to schedule ongoing future meetings.

6. The ACR will implement an attendance requirement for the meetings and those members who are unable to regularly attend meetings should forfeit their seat. In the event of a member forfeiting their seat for any reason, the Airport will designate an alternate member.

7. The ACR will utilize Robert’s Rules of Order to conduct its meetings (the Airport will arrange for the ACR to receive training on Robert’s Rules of Order). The Airport may suspend or cease hosting the ACR should meetings become disorderly or detrimental to conducting business.

8. The ACR will utilize a super-majority of two-thirds votes for ratifying final proposals to the FAA.

9. The Airport will staff the meetings and produce summary minutes of each meeting for ACR approval.

10. The Airport will publish all meeting dates according to North Carolina Open Meeting Laws and will post meeting notices on the City of Charlotte events calendar – the ACR will make all meetings open to the public.

11. The ACR will primarily hold meetings at CLT Center, 5601 Wilkinson Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28208. In the event that this meeting space is unavailable or in-person meetings are restricted, virtual meetings via a readily available video conferencing platform may be conducted. The meeting schedule will be determined by the ACR members with Airport and FAA staff consent.