Against Giants attended the Des Moines Airport Authority Board meeting on August 11 by video conference and remained for the entire proceeding.
TSA Gold+ was not on the agenda and was not raised. Following the meeting, Against Giants requested that the board be addressed on the program and its effect on the existing aviation security workforce. That request was granted. Gold+ will be an agenda item on September 8.
What Was on the Agenda
Airport Authority by-laws amendments. A parking garage conversion contract. Change orders on the new terminal construction. An identity management software order for the badging office. The financial report. A briefing from the Chief Executive Officer. Routine business.
What Was Not
This is the second consecutive board meeting at which Gold+ went unmentioned. DSM officers were notified of the proposed conversion on July 20. The board's July 14 agenda predates that notification. The August 11 agenda, published after it, contains no reference to screening, the program, or a contractor.
The board also does not list a general public comment period, and the published video conference line permits the public to monitor but not participate.
The Contrast With Tampa
On August 6, the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority board received a full management briefing on Gold+. TSA's Assistant Administrator for Human Capital traveled from headquarters to answer board questions in person. Board members asked about compensation floors, retirement, and what happens to officers earning above the minimum. The airport's Chief Operating Officer walked through the operational reasoning and corrected a statement in the airport's own published materials.
Same program. Same notification period. Two governing boards, two entirely different levels of public accounting.
What Happens Next
The September 8 meeting is the first occasion on which the Des Moines Airport Authority Board will address Gold+ in public session.
DSM officers who wish to attend should note that the meeting is held at 9:00 a.m. CST in the Airport Board Room on the second floor of the terminal, and that agendas are published in advance with email notification available through the airport's website.
Against Giants will attend and will report what is said.
If you want to understand how any of this applies to your situation, that is a conversation worth having. It costs you nothing. againstgiantsllc.com/get-help.html or info@againstgiantsllc.com