Boulder City Council · Special meeting
Special Meeting
July 23, 2026
Council votes 8-1 to keep operating Boulder Municipal Airport and accept FAA grants; Mark Wallach resigns right after the vote.
Council amended the agenda, then passed the consent agenda 9-0. This agenda included four November 2026 ballot ordinances (a facilities bond, a vacancy tax, a firefighter collective bargaining charter change, and a debt limit charter change), a special counsel appointment, and a disaster management agreement. Council continued the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan item to August 6. After a long staff presentation and 70 signed-up public speakers, council held a public hearing on the Boulder Municipal Airport and voted 8-1 to keep the airport open and pursue FAA and CDOT grants, with the first FAA grant that carries perpetual obligations to come back to council for a separate vote. Right after the final vote, Council Member Mark Wallach announced his resignation, effective immediately, saying he would not support giving the FAA a perpetual claim on the airport land without a citywide vote.
Agenda and votes
Call to Order and Roll Call
- 1Call to Order and Roll CallCouncil held roll call with all nine members present, then amended the agenda to add the special counsel item and the July 30 in-person meeting item.
Consent Agenda
- 2AConsideration of a motion to approve the May 7, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
- 2BConsideration of a motion to approve the May 21, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes
- 2CConsideration of a motion to approve the city manager entering into a intergovernmental agreement with Boulder County and the City of Louisville regarding the agreement to operate a joint office of disaster management
- 2D1. Introduction, first reading, and consideration of a motion to order published by title only Ordinance 8758 submitting to the electors of the city of Boulder at the Regular Municipal Coordinated Election to be held on Tuesday November 3, 2026, the question of authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds for the purpose of financing community recreation, safety infrastructure, and other capital projects; specifying the form of the ballot and other election procedures; and setting forth related details; 2. Introduction, first reading, and consideration of a motion to order published by title only Ordinance 8759 submitting to the electors of the city of Boulder at the Regular Municipal Coordinated Election to be held on Tuesday November 3, 2026, the question of raising taxes in the city of Boulder by the adoption of a Vacancy Excise Tax imposed on homes that are occupied for 183 days or less per year, with such amount to increase annually in accordance with the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Consumer Price Index to support general city services; specifying the form of the ballot and other election procedures; and setting forth related details; 3. Introduction, first reading, and consideration of a motion to order published by title only Ordinance 8761 submitting to the electors of the city of Boulder at the Regular Municipal Coordinated Election to be held on Tuesday November 3, 2026, the question of amending the Boulder Home Rule Charter to add a new Section 73, “Collective Bargaining for Firefighters,” creating a charter guaranteed right for full-time fire department employees to bargain collectively; specifying the form of the ballot and other election procedures; and setting forth related details; 4. Introduction, first reading, and consideration of a motion to order published by title only Ordinance 8762 submitting to the electors of the city of Boulder at the Regular Municipal Coordinated Election to be held on Tuesday November 3, 2026, the question of authorizing an amendment of the Boulder Home Rule Charter to modify the calculation of the city’s debt limitation, as set forth in the ballot; specifying the form of the ballot and other election procedures; and setting forth related details; 5. Introduction, first reading, and consideration of a motion to order published by title only Ordinance 8763 (1) determining the necessity of establishing the Boulder Downtown Development Authority, and (2) submitting to the qualified electors of the proposed Boulder Downtown Development Authority at the Regular Municipal Coordinated Election to be held on Tuesday November 3, 2026, the question concerning the formation of the Boulder Downtown Development Authority and a ballot issue to waive applicable revenue and spending limits in the city of Boulder, Colorado, declaring the necessity for an election on November 3, 2026, concerning the formation of such authority pursuant to Colo. Const. Art. X, Sec. 20 and statutory revenue limitations for such authority, allowing the city to pledge tax increment funds on behalf of the Boulder Downtown Development Authority, determining organizational aspects of the Boulder Downtown Development Authority board; specifying the form of the ballot and other election procedures; and setting forth related details.
- 2EConsideration of a motion to authorize the city attorney to appoint Jerome A. DeHerrera as Special Counsel to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute complaints #2026-005CCC and #2026-006CCC related to alleged code of conduct violations filed pursuant to Section 2-7-8, “Expectations,” B.R.C. 1981; and setting forth related details
- 2FConsideration of a motion to hold the July 30, 2026 City Council Special Meeting in-person
Public Hearings
- 3AConsideration of a motion to approve the continued operation of the airport in accordance with Boulder Revised Code 1981 sections 11-4 Airport Staff Time: 20 Min Council Time: 220 MinCouncil opened the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan adoption hearing and continued it to August 6, 2026, because there was not enough time to hear it that night.passed 9-0 unofficialat 0:13:59Continue the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan adoption public hearing to August 6, 2026.Moved by Aaron Brockett
- 3BContinued to the August 6 th meeting : Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) Adoption: Consideration of one or more motions to: (1) approve or amend conditions of approval to the BVCP update made by the Planning Board; and (2) approve or amend conditions of approval to the BVCP update made by the Board of County Commissioners; and (3) approve or amend recommended amendments to the BVCP update made by the Planning Board, County Planning Commission, and Board of County Commissioners. Staff Time: 15 Min Council Time: 45 MinAfter a staff presentation on airport finances and a public hearing with 70 signed-up speakers, council voted 8-1 to keep operating the Boulder Municipal Airport and pursue FAA and CDOT grants, with the first perpetuity-obligated FAA grant needing a separate council vote. Mark Wallach resigned from council immediately after the vote.failed 3-6 unofficialat 4:04:35Approve continued operation of the airport, with a one-year waiting period before accepting any FAA grant that carries a perpetuity obligation.Moved by Ryan SchuchardAdams: noBenjamin: noBrockett: noKaplan: noMarquis: noSchuchard: yesSpeer: yesWallach: yesWiner: nofailed 3-6 unofficialat 4:07:46Amend the airport motion so that every future FAA grant carrying a perpetuity obligation must come back to council for approval, not just staff approval.Moved by Taishya Adams, seconded by Mark WallachBenjamin: noBrockett: noKaplan: noMarquis: noSchuchard: yesSpeer: yesWallach: yesWiner: noAdams: nopassed 6-3 unofficialat 4:22:26Amend the airport motion so that only the next FAA grant carrying a perpetuity obligation must come back to council for approval.Moved by Nicole SpeerBrockett: yesKaplan: noMarquis: yesSchuchard: yesSpeer: yesWallach: yesWiner: noAdams: yespassed 8-1 unofficialat 4:23:27Approve continued operation of the airport under Boulder Revised Code section 11-4, as amended, directing staff to pursue FAA and CDOT funding with the next perpetuity-obligated FAA grant to come back for a council vote.Moved by Matt BenjaminKaplan: yesMarquis: yesSchuchard: yesSpeer: yesWallach: noWiner: yesAdams: yesBenjamin: yesBrockett: yes
Discussion Items
Debrief
Other votes
Conversations by topic
November 2026 ballot
Tina Marquis asked whether council could still change ballot language on the four November ordinances; staff said yes tonight or wait for a later reading. Ryan Schuchard asked for no surprises via hotline, and the mayor thanked the firefighters union for working with the city on the collective bargaining charter language.
Boulder Municipal Airport
Staff (Nuria Rincon-Fischer and transportation director Ble Bailey) explained the city is legally bound to operate the airport through at least 2040 under FAA grant assurances, and it must decide whether to fund needed capital work with FAA and CDOT grants or with other city revenue.
Bailey presented updated financial scenarios: taking FAA grants (scenario 1/3A) roughly breaks even, while foregoing FAA grants (scenario 3B) leaves a projected deficit of about $7 million to $26 million through 2040 depending on how much CDOT can cover.
Staff reviewed new landing-fee research from a Colorado vendor and a Longmont study, estimating Boulder could raise about $81,000 to $119,000 a year from landing fees, plus possible revenue from hangar development, solar, and electric short-takeoff aircraft, none of which would close the funding gap alone.
Outside counsel Peter Kersh told council that FAA grants for land purchases create perpetual obligations, other FAA obligations expire after 20 years, and a legal fight to close the airport (as Santa Monica pursued) could take about 12 years and cost more than $10 million in today's dollars.
Dozens of speakers, including pilots, students, and Boulder Chamber CEO John Ter, urged council to accept FAA and CDOT grants, citing wildfire and medevac staging, youth aviation education, university and NOAA climate research flights, and an estimated $23 million in yearly economic impact.
Airport Neighborhood Campaign speakers and allies argued that taking FAA grants would bind the city forever, pointed to about 4,000 signatures gathered in 2024 for a ballot measure on the airport's future, and asked council to put the funding decision to a public vote instead of deciding it that night.
John Farweather, who led the effort to close Santa Monica Airport, described how that airport became self-funding by charging landing fees on all aircraft, ending subleasing, and leasing land to non-aviation tenants, producing an $8 million to $10 million yearly surplus with no FAA, state, or city money.
Council split on funding: Speer, Wallach, and Schuchard opposed new perpetual FAA obligations and wanted to explore self-funding models, while Winer, Kaplan, Benjamin, Marquis, Adams, and the mayor supported accepting FAA and CDOT grants, citing the roughly $26 million funding gap and risk to the general and transportation funds. Council ultimately voted 8-1 to keep the airport open and take FAA funding, with the first perpetuity grant needing a separate council vote.
Right after the final vote, Mark Wallach announced his resignation from council, effective immediately, saying he would not support surrendering airport land to the FAA in perpetuity without full community input.
City budget and finances
Mark Wallach asked if the city studied other financing, such as a bond or a certificate of participation, instead of FAA grants; staff said only a state infrastructure bank loan had been identified and any alternative would compete with other city facility needs.
Transportation and parking
A Community Cycles speaker warned that declining FAA airport funds would push the city to draw first on transportation sales tax dollars, delaying bike lane, sidewalk, and transit work and setting up future fights between paving and bike lanes.
Wildfire and Xcel
ER physician Harry Ross testified that the airport's 24-hour fuel service is critical for medevac helicopters, and that a past gap in that service forced diversions to Loveland or Centennial airports, adding 45 minutes to flights.