Red Lodge Airport Boundary Officially Declared

On November 28, the Red Lodge City Council took the final vote to approve Ordinance 966 establishing the Red Lodge Airport boundary. It passed on a 4-2 vote, with Kelly Heaton and Kris Keys dissenting. This vote came at the end of the meeting, during which out-going Mayor Kristen Cogswell and Public Works Director Jim Bushnell continued to argue against passage by re-asserting disproven claims in addition to a new and easily debunked one.

During Mayor’s Comments, Cogswell addressed the Montana Independent News story published on November 15 with the headline: Red Lodge Council's Second Affirmative Vote on Airport Ordinance Should Have Been Final, Mayor's Error Necessitates Another. Cogswell asserts that she properly noticed the second public hearing and vote as the first reading. Members of the Council disagree and reviewed the article before publication. If this is a mere misunderstanding, future misunderstandings can be avoided by clearly announcing the result of each vote and the effect of that vote (e.g. “The motion passes 4-2. Ordinance 966 moves forward to the next meeting agenda for its second reading.”)

Cogswell and Bushnell both persisted in their assertions that the Joint Airport Board and the engineer developing the Master Plan for the Airport have not included the public in the process. Those claims are addressed in the November 15 article. In addition, they claimed that the public aren’t going to be consulted, they will just be presented with a final plan.

Now that Red Lodge has formally agreed on a boundary that legally defines its airport, the design options can be fully explored. Lance Bowser, the engineer developing the Master Plan will present every alternative that meets FAA standards to the Joint Airport Board and the public. With the passage of Ordinance 966, the boundary of the Airport has shrunk considerably, limiting the options available. There will be a series of public meetings - both regular Board meetings and meetings specific to the Red Lodge Airport Master Plan - so the Joint Airport Board with County, City and public engagement, can develop a Master Plan that works for the City of Red Lodge and the Carbon County community of which it is a part.

Bowser, when asked to comment on the passage of the ordinance stated, “With the airport boundary determined, I look forward to working with the Joint Airport Board, City and County in completing the Master Plan effort which will include future public participation. The end goal for the Master Plan is to meet FAA safety standards, providing for FAA grant funding eligibility to maintain the Red Lodge Airport’s aging infrastructure, and to meet the needs of the community and its users.”

A Master Plan does not change ownership, the Airport remains City property. The Airport Master Plan cannot move forward without both City and County approval. Any changes to the property or agreements must be approved by the City, whether or not a Master Plan is in place.