{"id":257,"date":"2026-05-13T22:34:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T22:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=257"},"modified":"2026-05-13T22:34:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T22:34:14","slug":"boulder-city-council-to-consider-accepting-federal-money-for-city-airport-rekindling-debate-over-its-future-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=257","title":{"rendered":"Boulder City Council to consider accepting federal money for city airport, rekindling debate over its future"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"136px\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_VaRgzSoEpgP?client=wp&amp;client_version=3.1.7\" title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The Boulder City Council this week will debate whether the city should once again accept grant money from the Federal Aviation Administration to help maintain runways and other facilities at its municipal airport.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=255\">Boulder City Council moves to keep airport open indefinitely, limiting future housing options<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The discussion could have major implications for the future of the airport at a time when housing advocates are pushing for its closure to repurpose the land, and airport users contend it is a valuable community asset. Located in northeast Boulder, the facility primarily serves private pilots, flight trainees, gliders and researchers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The city filed a lawsuit in July 2024 against the FAA, seeking a ruling that would allow it to close the airport by 2040, when the city estimates its most recent federal grant obligations expire. The case was dismissed on procedural grounds without prejudice, meaning the city could refile. The city chose not to appeal.<\/p>\n<p>During that litigation, the FAA reiterated its position that federal grants the city has accepted require it to keep the airport operating in perpetuity unless the FAA approves its closure. Any decision to resume accepting federal funding could therefore bind the city and limit its ability to make future decisions about the airport\u2019s fate.<\/p>\n<p>City officials are presenting council with two scenarios: accept federal funding and commit to \u201cindefinite\u201d airport operations or maintain the option to pursue closure at some point after 2040 by forgoing federal funding. City officials have said that Boulder\u2019s most recent FAA grant, accepted in May 2020, came with a 20-year obligation, meaning the airport could potentially close in 2040.<\/p>\n<p>Under the first scenario, city staff project the airport could operate with little to no ongoing subsidy from the city. Under the second, they estimate the city would need to subsidize the airport with roughly $9 million through 2040 to maintain safety and operational standards, with additional costs at the time of potential closure for expenses such as environmental remediation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The city\u2019s airport fund is projected to go into deficit as soon as 2027. One pressure point is a planned sealcoating of runway surfaces at a cost of about $750,000. Without federal grants, the city may need to draw on its general fund or generate additional airport revenue to cover the shortfall. Adding urgency, several pandemic-era FAA grants are available but will begin expiring as soon as September 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>City officials are asking council this week whether they would like to pursue indefinite airport operation and resume federal funding, a significant policy decision that would come without a formal vote or public hearing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Most councilmembers earlier this week indicated they were not prepared to make such a decision at the study session. Several said they planned to ask city officials for more information or declined to comment ahead of the meeting.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=254\">Inside BVSD\u2019s final meeting on possible school closures as declining enrollment forces tough choices<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Councilmember Matt Benjamin said it would be \u201cfiscally irresponsible\u201d to not accept federal funding for airport maintenance. He suggested the city would have to use general fund money to make up the difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat ongoing cost would only further erode our ability to fund our core services like public safety, snow plowing, road maintenance, parks and rec, economic development, etc.,\u201d Benjamin said.<\/p>\n<p>Joining him in calling for federal funding is a group of residents and airport users who in 2024 formed the Save Boulder Airport committee, which was set up to oppose a ballot measure seeking to close the airport. Andrew McKenna, president of Journeys Aviation, told councilmembers last week that the city should begin taking FAA grants again.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe time has come to stop the indecision and mischief and commit to a path into the future that provides clarity for the airport community, clarity for airport businesses and clarity for the city,\u201d McKenna said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Other councilmembers, including Mark Wallach and Nicole Speer, oppose deciding to accept federal grant funding. Speer said she wants the city to maintain flexibility over the airport\u2019s future. Wallach said the city should increase landing and tie-down fees to help close the funding gap.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we take their money we no longer have any possibility to go down a different path. Forever,\u201d Wallach said in an email to colleagues ahead of Thursday\u2019s study session.<\/p>\n<p>Joining them is the Airport Neighborhood Campaign, the organization that gathered signatures for a ballot measure to close the airport and repurpose the land for affordable housing before pulling the measure, citing the city\u2019s litigation against the FAA. The group sent out an alert to its email subscribers this week ahead of the study session.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf the city signs new FAA grants contracts, it\u2019s immediately game over,\u201d the group wrote. \u201cThe perpetual contract obligations cannot be undone by electing a new council and cannot be undone by citizen vote or referendum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=252\">Boulder Market Meals: Toast topped with saut\u00e9ed radish slices<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Accepting federal funding would ease maintenance costs and challenges, but could close the door on repurposing the land for housing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[33],"class_list":["post-257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-government","tag-boulder-municipal-airport"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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