Director reports one skydiving fatality, declines in fuel sales and ongoing passenger reporting

The board unanimously approved the April 7 meeting minutes and then heard the airport operations report, which covered skydiving incidents, flight delays, monthly enplanements and fuel sales.

Minutes approval: A motion to approve the April 7 minutes was made and seconded; the board voted “Aye” and the motion passed unanimously.

Incidents: Staff reported three skydiving incidents during the month under review. That count was clarified during the meeting: one of the incidents resulted in a fatality, one person was “injured pretty badly,” and a third declined ambulance transport and self‑transported to a hospital. Staff praised the response of airport personnel, saying crews and a member named Lance “did an amazing job.”

Delays and cancellations: The operations report noted 13 delayed flights and two canceled flights in the period. Staff said most delays and cancellations were due to weather in Denver and that they would clarify future reports to indicate when delays stem from weather (and not from Contour or other carriers) so board members and the public are not confused.

Passengers and flights: Staff presented 2024 monthly figures and partial 2025 data on the county website. The board was shown emplanement charts for 2024 and early 2025; staff said January 2024 combined enplanements from SkyWest and Redtail totaled 396 for the month and that the full‑year total for all operations last year was reported as 14,541 enplanements. For March 2025, staff reported 715 enplanements from Contour; April numbers were still pending at the time of the meeting.

Fuel sales: For Jet A fuel, staff reported 17,912 gallons sold in March (figure given in the meeting). The interim director and board members discussed that Contour and other carriers often purchase fuel elsewhere because local prices can be higher; staff said pilots’ purchasing decisions are cost based and that the airport has been encouraging carriers to refuel locally. One board member said April Jet A sales attributed to Contour were about 2,300 gallons compared with roughly 6,700 gallons the previous year, indicating a noticeable drop.

Other operational notes: Staff said the county’s Vertiport/flight‑tracking display (referred to as “Vertower” in the meeting) and monthly statistics are available on the county website; staff will improve how charts are presented so the board can more easily see line comparisons (for example, Phoenix flights vs. Denver flights). Staff also reported that taxiway Bravo and the crosswind runway are open and operable; a remaining punch list includes minor items and one closure night scheduled for upcoming light installations.

Ending

The board did not take further action on operations items but directed staff to improve reporting clarity (separating weather‑caused delays from other causes), to post updated April numbers when available and to continue documenting incidents and fuel‑purchase behavior.