July 7 Open Forum, unleaded & Mesa AZ updates, & more

Mark yer calendars for Tuesday, July 7 · 7 pm - 11 pm
Longmont Civic Center 350 Kimbark St., Longmont, CO 80501

The Longmont City Council will hold an Open Forum, in place of the regular city council meeting. At this forum, members of the public may speak to council for five minutes on any topic. If you would like to speak, plan to come early to put your name on the speaker list.
https://longmontcolorado.gov/event/open-forum/2026-07-07/
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 Why Longmont City Council is hesitant to accept FAA money to fix a crumbling airport taxilane
https://www.dailycamera.com/2026/06/28/longmont-city-council-faa-vance-brand-municipal-airport/
The city needs to repair deteriorating pavement at Vance Brand Airport, but some council members worry the federal funding comes with strings attached
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 The 2030 Deadline for unleaded Fuel is final (take that, whiny pilots!)
https://generalaviationnews.com/2026/06/29/2030-unleaded-avgas-deadline-final/
The 2030 sunset for leaded avgas is coming. Discover why the regulatory and supply chain realities make this deadline final—and how it impacts GA.
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This is important! A victory! Federal Judge Denies Flight Schools’ Request to Block Mesa Landing Fees
We have an important update regarding the lawsuit challenging the City of Mesa’s new landing fee program at Falcon Field. On June 23, 2026, the federal judge denied the flight schools’ request for a preliminary injunction, meaning the court will not stop the City of Mesa from moving forward with its landing fee program while the lawsuit continues.
https://www.change.org/p/protect-mesa-neighborhoods-from-flight-school-lead-exposure-and-excessive-noise/u/34878296 
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 Letters: Boulder airport caters to the needs of a privileged few
https://www.dailycamera.com/2026/06/28/letters-boulder-airport-land-use-noise-pollution-lead-fuel/

In regard to Jan Burton’s opinion piece published in the Daily Camera on June 13 on the Boulder Municipal Airport, a few thoughts:

Across the U.S., fewer than 1% of the population holds a private pilot’s license. In Boulder, a city of ~108,000 people, that equates to no more than 300 residents with private pilots’ licenses.

Labeling the airport a “local treasure” is hyperbole (versus, say, The Colorado Chautauqua, which is enjoyed by tens of thousands of residents and nonresidents year-round).

Asking a firefighter whether he views the airport as essential to emergency response is akin to asking Shohei Ohtani if he likes center-cut fastballs. Since 2010, there have been four emergency events where emergency responders leveraged Boulder Municipal Airport as a staging area. The majority of firefighting aircraft (e.g., heavy tankers and helos equipped to address wildfires) are stationed at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield. And, are we truly and seriously addressing anthropogenic climate change, which is magnifying environmental and health risks?

Leaded fuel is still being utilized by planes at Boulder Municipal Airport, and the noise pollution is especially evident if you live on the East side of town. It’s great to think that we could turn Boulder’s airport into an electrified hub and tech-center for aviation but, at this point, it’s just more talk.

Finally, there’s the fear-factor wafted by Ms. Burton that local taxes will automatically increase if we pursue local control. Is this really true, or are there grant options available to offset the costs?

The needs of the privileged few shouldn’t outweigh the needs of the many. Boulder’s City Council should take an intentional, mindful approach to first meeting the basic human needs of residents today and into the future. It’s not rocket science.

David Laskarzewski, Boulder