Boulder Planning Board chair target of formal complaint over airport decisions

A formal complaint filed with the city of Boulder targets Planning Board Chair Laura Kaplan over decisions tied to the future of the Boulder Municipal Airport. The complaint, dated June 23 and submitted by former City Councilmember Jan Burton, asks Kaplan to recuse herself from Planning Board matters involving the airport. Burton argues that Kaplan has publicly advocated against keeping the airport open long-term while also participating in official planning processes. The complaint points to a controversial Planning Board amendment to the draft Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan that rewrote airport policy, highlighting alleged inequitable impacts such as leaded fuel and noise. The Planning Board approved the amendment on June 16, but the City Council did not sign off, requiring the draft BVCP to return to approval later in July. Kaplan said she would provide information if requested by the City Attorney.