Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
The Pitkin County Board of Commissioners discussed updating the wording of a possible November airport ballot question during a special meeting Tuesday.
The resolution amends Article II of the county’s governing document, the Home Rule Charter, to “authorize and empower the Board of County Commissioners to approve and implement a structural design and related regulatory plan for the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport that complies with local and federal regulations and requirements, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Pitkin County Home Rule Charter.”
“Because it’s a change to the Home Rule Charter, it’s significant and we don’t do that often,” said Commissioner Francie Jacober. “We do cleanups to the Home Rule Charter… that’s not unusual, we’re just cleaning up the language and making clarifications. But that significant, I mean, a change is not something we do on a regular basis, so I think that’s special.”
According to county documents, the county commissioner’s authority over the airport is the subject of the resolution and the related proposed amendment to the Home Rule Charter. The body’s authority is established in state law and the Home Rule Charter.
“In essence, the proposed amendment to the Home Rule Charter reaffirms the BOCC’s jurisdiction and executive and administrative power and authority over the airport, including but not limited to authority over the physical location and design of infrastructure on the airfield (i.e., runways, taxiways, ramps, terminals, towers, etc.), the ability to enter into, enforce, and comply with contractual agreements and obligations, and the local and federal regulatory planning process for the airport,” the county documents state.
And in addition to the board’s powers and authorities over the airport, the resolution states that the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) also has regulatory authority over aspects of the airfield and its operations.
“Significantly, as an airport sponsor, Pitkin County has received federal funds in the form of FAA grants that have been used for improvements and maintenance of the airport, and the airport cannot be altered without FAA involvement and approval. In connection with its receipt of FAA funds, Pitkin County has entered into contractual grant commitments relating to, among other things, the authority, operation and maintenance of the airport,” the county documents state.
County documents further stated that the board was seeking its own amendment to the Home Rule Charter because the citizen group Our Airport Our Vote had collected enough signatures to put a competing amendment to the Home Rule Charter before Pitkin County voters in the general election.
This resolution comes after Roaring Fork Valley nonprofit Our Airport Our Vote placed its own question on the November ballot. Their question will also amend the Home Rule Charter and require a public vote on the airport’s runway.
“But that language is the result of a discussion that began in closed session to consider the potential legal ramifications of a citizen-initiated amendment to the Pitkin County Home Rule Charter,” said Acting District Attorney Richard Neiley. “So that’s how we ended up here today. The citizen-initiated amendment to the Pitkin County Home Rule Charter, in its most fundamental form, seeks to strip the BOCC of its authority over certain aspects of the airport, particularly the design and physical layout of the airfield.”
The amendment will prohibit county officials from making decisions about expanding or relocating a runway at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport beyond the dimensions and locations in place on January 1, 2024, without voter approval. It also clearly defines the term “runway.”
Neiley advised the board to hold the discussion on Tuesday as a special meeting. The first reading of both ballot questions will be on August 14, and the second reading on August 28. Public comments will be taken during the August 14 meeting. The final wording of the ballot must be submitted by September 6.
The election will take place on November 5th.
Annual report of the Airport Advisory Board
During the working session, some members of the Airport Advisory Board also presented their annual report. The report covered the years 2023 and 2024.
- Among the accomplishments presented by the advisory board was the airport layout plan, which was officially submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration on July 22, 2024. It is currently under review.
- Additionally, a letter outlining climate action was written this year and sent to the Pitkin County Commission.
- There was an update on the proposed sustainable aviation fuel refinery on the Western Slope. Mesa County sent Pitkin County a letter of support for the $400,000 DOLA grant, with Pitkin County matching 50%. Mesa County also contributed $50,000.
- Also formed was the Flight Operations Task Force, which recently approved its first budget and recommended conducting a wind study at the airport. The task force also hired a new airport project coordinator. The task force will ask the Airport Advisory Board for a mid-year budget supplement to conduct a wind study that will serve as a precursor to installing additional wind sensors to study wind conditions around the mountains. The Airport Advisory Board will hear that proposal at its meeting Thursday, with an official plan expected in September or October.
- Finally, a proposed solution for the airport retaining wall repair will be presented at some point as a quarterly supplement.
