Happy Monday, Longmont! Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey dominated the weekend box office once again as it’s now earned more than $630 million globally in less than two weeks. It’s a stunning example of the power of poetry to make great source material for Hollywood. Let’s do Sonnet 18, next.
Today, we’re previewing Longmont City Council’s meeting tomorrow, looking back on Longmont Cruise Night’s smashing success, and trouble for local pelicans.
Let’s dive in.
TOP STORY
🌎 City council to receive long-awaited results from airport noise studies in Tuesday meeting
Airplanes haven’t made people this emotional since Denzel Washington’s 2012 tearjerker, Flight. Of course, the emotions in Longmont are a bit different.
In tomorrow’s Longmont City Council meeting, councilmembers will receive the results from two separate studies regarding Vance Brand Municipal Airport. One assesses the effectiveness of the airport’s more-than-decade-old (and heavily criticized) noise reduction procedures that are provided to pilots and aviation organizations who may travel around Longmont. The other evaluates how the airport charges for existing ground lease rates and hangar rental rates and compares them to other airports.
In more entertaining terms:
Are pilots dodging the rules that the City of Longmont requested and, if so, what can be done to nudge them into line?
Is the airport making money? And can it make more money?
Locals have long been grilling city council to take some kind of action to slash the volume of noise created by airplanes flying overhead. Tomorrow may yield concrete steps in that direction. Each study provides recommendations for actions city council can take. According to a City of Longmont agenda packet…
The Rates and Charges Study:
Following its research, the aviation consulting firm Longmont used to assess the airport’s financial sustainability, Bolton & Menk, Inc. will provide more than a dozen recommendations for the city to pursue. These include…
Increasing ground lead rates.
Increasing fuel flowage fees.
Consider implementing a landing fee
An important kicker to keep in mind: Legally, landing fees must be reasonable and justified by airport cost and not merely a method to limit operations.
More unorthodox revenue-generating ideas like offering paid snow plowing and grass-cutting services to tenants and hosting more events like fly-ins and pancake breakfasts (The latter is our favorite).
This will be a presentation only. Feedback will be incorporated into a draft rates and charges schedule that will be presented to city council as a resolution later this summer.
The Noise Program Assessment:
Since 2015, the airport has maintained what it calls a Voluntary Noice Abatement Program. This is a guide provided to pilots that outlines the flight procedures the city prefers. Of course, the key word above is “Voluntary.” Additionally, the city hasn’t yet conducted a formal assessment of the program’s effectiveness. To do this, they contracted the services of the airport analytics team, Airport Monitoring Systems. They, too, will provide more than a dozen recommendations, including:
Expand flight tracking to measure VNAP conformance.
Establish a Technical Advisory Group of pilots, flight schools, and representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, who will report to city council.
Integrate VNAP guidance into Electronic Flight Bag platforms for in-cockpit guidance.
In other words, convert Longmont’s air procedures from paper documents into electronic platforms.
Based on these recommendations, city council can then direct city staff to take action however deemed appropriate.
In other news…
Councilmembers will also begin tackling three new questions set to be added onto November’s ballot. Two of them are centered on changing the election process for Longmont City Council members to ranked choice voting, while the other gives additional protections to open spaces.
The action begins at 7 p.m. You can attend in-person or follow along virtually here.
Headlines
3 Big Things
Thousands attend Longmont Cruise Night: Saturday night, thousands of people from Longmont, Boulder and as far as Orlando, Florida flocked to Main Street for the newly-proclaimed Longmont Cruise Night. Cruising is a time-honored tradition in downtown Longmont dating back to the 1930s, but the practice had been banned in Longmont for the better part of two decades. Longmont City Council finally took action July 14 when Mayor Susie Hidalgo-Fahring proclaimed the day would officially become Longmont Cruise Night. From DeLoreans and Corvettes to school buses and firetrucks, Main Street was a hot spot for the exotic, classic, and cool. The party lasted late into the night running long after it’s originally-scheduled closing time of 10 p.m. At its peak, the line of cars waiting to enter Main Street’s hub stretched nearly onto Ken Pratt Boulevard — almost a mile away.
Three straight days of rain: Longmont scored some much-needed rain last week after a largely hot and dry beginning to July. Between July 22-24, the National Weather Service recorded about 1/3 of an inch of rain at Vance Brand Airport. But other estimates in the area show parts of Longmont receiving nearly one inch of rain. July is still well behind its normal pace, however. Longmont usually records about 1.3” by this time — it’s currently at just over 0.5.” But more storms could be on the way this week as every day through Friday has at least a chance of precipitation. Current forecasts show tomorrow night having the highest likelihood for rain at 60%.
Pelicans are getting trapped at Union Reservoir: The City of Longmont is reminding fishermen to properly dispose of unwanted fishing line and hooks after two pelicans at Union Reservoir needed to be rescued after getting tangled. While crews were able to save one of the pelicans, the other did not survive. It’s not uncommon for birds to die following conflict with fishing line. Last August, an osprey in St. Vrain state Park was found dead after swallowing several feet of fishing line and hooks.
Check this out
RTD expected to approve new bus route from Longmont to DIA
Tomorrow, the Regional Transportation District’s Board of Directors will decide whether to approve a slew of new service changes. One of them is a new bus route from Longmont to Denver International Airport.
Details, please:
The AL route will be part of RTD’s Skyride bus service, which caters to passengers with luggage. It will…
Run hourly every day.
Begin as early as 6 a.m. at 8th Ave. and Coffman St.
Depart for its last trip at 10 p.m.
Include stops at Niwot and Lafayette Park-n-Rides.
If approved, the changes will take effect in September. The action begins at 5:30 p.m. and you can learn more or find out how to watch the thrilling board meeting unfold virtually here.
Events
Happening this week
Airport Noise Town Hall: In an effort to clear the air (pun intended) regarding the City of Longmont’s legal limitations for regulating aircraft noise, the city is hosting a town hall tonight from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Longmont Museum. The event features Q&A opportunities, as well as a presentation from John Putnam, who is part of the city’s special counsel firm contracted to provide legal advice on airport issues. If you can’t make it in person, virtual options are available as well. Virtual attendees are also able to submit questions.
Live music at the Peaks, Museum: Catch a duo of live acts this week when The Eagles tribute band, The Long Run, hits the stage at the Village at the Peaks, while country band Road Pony fires up the crowd at the Longmont Museum. TLR begins at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Village lawn. Road Pony takes the mic at 7 p.m. in the Stewart Family Courtyard. Both concerts are free.
Shoes and Brews Run Club: All are invited to Thursday’s social run (or walk) with Shoes and Brews. Running and walking clubs have been booming in popularity across the nation as they offer healthy ways to meet a new friend (or, even more than a friend), while getting out of the house. Visitors will meet at the bar, then take their run/walk for an out-and-back on the St. Vrain Greenway. Afterwards, everyone will convene at the taproom for less exhausting socialization. To sweeten the deal, your first pint is half off and you’ll be given a free raffle ticket for the chance to win a prize.
Last Call
The average price for a gallon of gas in the Boulder-Longmont area has dropped six cents since Friday to $4.11 per gallon, according to AAA. That’s still 13 cents more than a week ago but reflects sliding oil prices seen as Iran and the U.S. back off from fighting amid a potential resumption of a ceasefire.
National Weather Service forecasts show a mostly cloudy and warm Monday in Longmont. There’s between a 30-40% chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2-9 p.m.
Longmont Police helped to raise nearly $1,200 to benefit Special Olympics at its Tip a Cop event last weekend at Chili’s.
A major electrical issue shut down Biscuit Mike’s for multiple hours yesterday.
ICYMI: Jefe’s is now open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Two of Longmont Food Rescue’s food donation refrigerators are down and undergoing maintenance.
Until next time,
The Longmont Brief
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