Airport petitions on the ballot
Two measures deciding the future of the Boulder Municipal Airport will be on the ballot in November.
The addition comes after a group of Boulder residents, called the Airport Neighborhood Campaign, gathered enough signatures on separate petitions that could close and repurpose the airport.
The first initiative proposes decommissioning the airport “as soon as reasonably feasible” while allowing certain emergency uses to continue. If that passes, the second measure asks to develop the estimated 179-acre site into mixed-use neighborhoods with permanently affordable housing.
At least 3,401 signatures were needed for each petition to qualify. According to the city, each recorded nearly 3,500.
Proponents for closing the airport cite noise, possible pollution from leaded aviation fuel and better alternative community-wide uses as grounds for decommissioning the site.
“We’re really excited,” Laura Kaplan, who sits on Boulder’s planning board and is part of the Airport Neighborhood Campaign, told the Daily Camera. “We really think that putting this up for a vote is the right thing to do, to understand how the community really feels about this.”
At the same time, the Boulder Airport Association is gathering signatures for its own petition that supports the ongoing operation of the airport, saying it’s a “vital asset” for the city.
The city is responsible for operations and maintenance of the airport by controlling its land use and aircraft procedures. It’s currently designated as a “general aviation” airport and is used for “business, private, recreational and emergency aviation services.”
Boulder City Council was asked to weigh in on the airport’s future in August 2023, but no decision has been reached.
Local healthcare organizations announce merge
Clinica Family Health and Mental Health Partners (MHP) announced on June 10 they are becoming one organization, named Clinica Family Health and Wellness, to provide care across Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin and Adams counties.
“Joining together enables us to advocate more effectively for health equity,” Dixie Casford, co-CEO of MHP, said in a press release. “As a combined entity, we aim to positively impact policies, systems and funding structures in ways we could not do individually.”
MHP serves nearly 10,000 clients with a range of mental health and addiction recovery care, including 24/7 crisis care, outpatient mental health and substance use care and therapy. Clinica is a community health center providing affordable healthcare to 59,000 individuals across four counties with or without insurance.
According to a press release, the two organizations will merge in September. In addition to improving access to care for patients, the release says the merger will create a “stronger, more sustainable business entity” and make them more competitive in recruiting during the industry’s workforce shortage.
Casford told Boulder Reporting Lab that MHP is also dealing with the end of pandemic-era continuous enrollment Medicaid policies that left people without insurance but still seeking services, resulting in less revenue for the organization.
“More than anything else, this merger is about our patients and clients,” Simon Smith, president and CEO of Clinica, said in the release.
More news…
- The Town of Superior is looking for feedback on a draft of its first strategic housing plan. The plan was created through a needs assessment and community engagement events to provide a roadmap for developing affordable housing amid rising costs and limited available land. Proposed solutions outlined in the plan include allowing ADUs, adding more duplexes and small apartment buildings, and allowing zoning density increases in single-family areas. Residents can provide feedback through July 8: bit.ly/superior_housing.
- In-person voting centers opened this week for Boulder County residents to cast their vote in the 2024 primary election. Voting centers and ballot drop-boxes will remain open until Tuesday, June 25 (election day). Check out Boulder Weekly’s voter guide for more information on candidates.
- Survey results released by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on June 13 highlight ongoing disparities for transgender and nonbinary youth, among other findings related to the health and well-being of young people. The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, distributed to 120,000 students in grades 6-12 last fall, found that while fewer high schoolers experienced persistent feelings of sadness overall, transgender and nonbinary youth were three to four times more likely to consider suicide than their peers. Results also outline a continued trend of declining substance use, but an increase in middle schoolers reporting drinking alcohol. Read more about the survey results at bit.ly/survey_resultsBW.
