Planes haven’t been in this much trouble since the first episode of Lost.
Longmont City Council hosted a rare open forum last night. The event allows residents five uninterrupted minutes to discuss any topic of their choosing in front of council. To say the least, locals seized the opportunity.
Across more than four hours, dozens of residents took to the podium to voice their concern for a variety of issues facing Longmont. From surveillance to ranked choice voting, mental health, water, wildfire prevention, and even a communist conspiracy theory, locals came ready to play.
But, by the end of the night it was clear that one topic is consuming locals above all: Aircraft traffic.
Plane and simple:
Across the last several years, concerns surrounding noise and lead-based pollution from airplanes circling Longmont have left residents desperate for solutions, and they voiced their displeasure loudly. In addition to sound and pollution…
Several residents who have lobbied to city council in the past expressed frustration at being told “the city’s hands are tied,” suggesting a city who owns the local airport must be able to take action.
Other critique centered around there being a lack of community benefit from incoming planes. Several residents voiced strong support for installing landing fees for planes who use Vance Brand Municipal Airport.
A response:
Councilmembers were largely sympathetic to citizens’ plight and appeared earnest in their desire to mitigate it. However, city council emphasized that there are limited hands they’re capable of playing. Councilmember Jake Marsing said…
“There are very real legal constraints on what we can do as a city to control and manage our own airport…As soon as an aircraft begins moving, theoretically, even moving on the ground, the FAA controls that aircraft and that air space. Our ability to manage it is extremely limited.”
Marsing added they also don’t have the authority to manage touch-and-go operations.
Longmont City Council’s next two regular sessions could be critical. They’re slated to discuss whether to accept a $1.5 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to fund taxilane reconstruction at VBMA. On July 28, council will discuss the results from a study that will shed light on new means of collecting revenue for the airport.
Zooming out:
Other topics remain at the forefront of Longmont’s psyche. Several residents raised concerns about surveillance in Longmont and the city’s active contract with Axon. Multiple citizens also addressed the potential for Longmont to use ranked choice voting. The idea may appear on the November ballot if it’s approved by city council.