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Commissioners approve Meeker Airport winter‑maintenance policy; approve amended Hangars West lease after striking snow clause
Summary
After extended discussion about a 50‑foot 'exclusive area' in front of private hangars and how snow will be managed, the Board of Commissioners approved the Meeker Airport winter‑maintenance policy and amended ground lease with Hangars West LLC, removing a contested sentence about snow push methodology.
The Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners voted Sept. 10 to adopt a winter‑maintenance policy for Meeker Airport (Coulter Field) and to approve a ground‑lease amendment with Hangars West LLC for a new multi‑bay hangar, as amended.
Eric (county airport manager) explained the policy is intended “to clarify the responsibilities between the county and airport managers, snow removal or winter maintenance procedures and methodology, and then also privately owned hangars and their responsibility for the exclusive area in front of their hangars.” He said the policy ties to FAA and Colorado Department of Transportation Aeronautics guidance and defines the exclusive area as “the 50 foot in front of the hangar from the front face of the hangar that ties to the apron or general use area.”
Commissioners and the airport manager debated operational implications, including whether placing the 50‑foot exclusive area in lease language could lock the county into a specific future snow‑removal technique. One commissioner said she wanted the county to retain flexibility to change airport snow‑removal practices later; another said Hangars West needed assurance the county would not routinely bury apron areas in relocated plow snow. County staff and the developer said the clause was added to avoid creating a larger operational problem by pushing snow onto hangar aprons.
After discussion the board approved an amendment to the Hangars West ground lease that struck a final sentence describing how snow “may be pushed both north and south of the hangars” and clarified the parties would work together on operational details. Commissioners then voted to adopt the policy and execute the amended lease. The clerk called the roll and recorded ayes after commissioners resolved the contested sentence by amendment.
The manager said the 50‑foot exclusive area will also be referenced in future ground leases and related condominium or homeowners’ association documents where multi‑bay hangars are subdivided. He noted that earlier ground leases executed before 2023 may not contain the 50‑foot exclusivity language introduced to align with more recent FAA enforcement.
County staff and the developers said they want to finalize the ground‑lease paperwork so Hangars West can obtain water meters, finalize on‑site wastewater approvals and complete the condominium declarations needed for sale of individual hangar units and to receive certificates of occupancy.
The board’s action left open operational details about who performs daily snow removal (county, road and bridge, airport manager, or an FBO contractor) and confirmed the county will retain discretion on operational delegation while documenting the 50‑foot lease area for private hangars.
