Saw this on Reddit....
KBDU Update From “Save Boulder Airport”
Dear Airport Supporters,
We have an important update for you. Although the ballot measures to close the airport have been withdrawn, an analysis of the recent mandatory city reporting shows that the Airport Neighborhood Campaign was funded by only four people, two who are County residents, and was used primarily to hire paid petition gatherers. Yet, the effort pushed the city into a costly lawsuit with the FAA.
Analyzing the Airport Neighborhood Campaign report, they raised a total of $23,309, including in-kind contributions. The number one donor, representing more than 60% of the cash contributions, was Hepburn Ingham, who donated $13,499 and owns a Boulder County property 0.4 mile from the end of Runway 08. He is a frequent noise complainer and airport antagonist. Laura Kaplan the campaign organizer, was the second largest donor at $5,716.
Without any public discussion or notice, the City of Boulder filed a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration on July 26, 2024. The committee raised no money since early May, so one could conclude that they had no intent to run a campaign. They wished only to mislead the city into taking unprecedented measures to disable the airport.
“These disclosures show they just duped the city staff, City Council, and the public. It was not a grassroots effort at all, but bought and paid for by four donors, two who live in the County, who then hired paid petition gatherers. There was no groundswell of support to close the airport. The entire effort was a charade funded primarily by a disgruntled neighbor who has now cost the city up to $750,000 suing the FAA. It was an abuse of the ballot measure process,” states Jan Burton, Chair of the Save the Airport Committee.
Our own Save Boulder Airport committee, organized to protect the airport and defend against the ballot measure, reported 118 total contributors, for a total of $42,384, and no contribution over $2001.00. This was truly a grassroots effort, including many Boulder city and county residents who thought the push to close the airport was unjust and not inclusive or reflective of public opinion, and detrimental to the fabric and future of our Boulder community. For one, the broader Boulder County residents that the airport serves through flood and fire rescue operations would not have been able to vote on the ballot measures to close it, and the students under 18 that the airport currently provides educational outreach, scholarships, and aviation training to would not have been able to vote on their own future. Multiple residents have reached out to us to have their voices heard on this issue.
It’s no wonder the Airport Neighborhood Campaign withdrew the ballot measure. They had used all of their money on paid signature gatherers who misled the public, saying the ballot measure was to support affordable housing. Fewer than 10 people, including former and current Council members, a current Planning Board member, and a current Housing Advisory Board member, as well as two significant donors misled the City into thinking it was a broadly-supported measure. The city took the unprecedented step of filing a lawsuit against the FAA, which will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, or perhaps millions of dollars if they continue down this path.
The messages we must send to the City, City Council, and the press is the following:
The City should immediately reverse course and begin to accept Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) grants for important projects like the introduction of unleaded fuel to the Boulder Airport.
The City should immediately seek FAA grants to improve the facilities that have become rundown, due to the city’s refusal to accept FAA grants over the past 2.5 years. (If the city does not accept FAA grants, during a time of limited funds and budgetary shortfalls, it will be forced to fund airport improvements from its general fund.)
City staff should also look at unwinding themselves from a lawsuit that is costly, they are unlikely to win, and has little public support.
Thank you again for your support. For those of you who requested a prorated return of your donation, we have mailed the checks. We will continue to keep you updated and will continue to work to protect and preserve the Boulder Airport.
Save Boulder Airport campaign team
