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Council votes to sign on to regional amicus brief asking Colorado Supreme Court to review RMMA legal question
Summary
Following public testimony about safety, noise and emissions, the council voted to sign on to an amicus brief being filed by Broomfield (with coordination) asking the Colorado Supreme Court to consider whether airport activities at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport can constitute a public nuisance and whether neighboring municipalities have legal remedies; the city attorney will review the brief before filing.
The Louisville City Council voted to sign on to an amicus brief being filed by neighboring jurisdictions asking the Colorado Supreme Court to consider review of legal questions arising from operations at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (RMMA).
City Attorney Kathleen Kelly summarized the legal posture and the Court of Appeals decision that left some legal questions unresolved about municipal remedies for airport operations and public-nuisance claims. Kelly advised the council that an amicus brief should add arguments beyond simply repeating the petitioner’s brief, and she asked council for direction on Louisville’s interests to include.
Multiple residents and regional representatives urged the council to support the effort, citing frequent low-altitude training flights, noise, safety incidents and potential health impacts from aviation emissions. State Representative Kyle Brown and residents described the regional scope of impacts and urged legal clarification.
Council members debated whether to pursue a standalone Louisville brief or to sign on to the Broomfield brief; given the short filing window and that Broomfield’s attorneys were drafting a comprehensive brief, council voted to sign on to Broomfield’s amicus brief and authorized the city attorney to review and coordinate Louisville’s sign-on content. The vote passed: council instructed the city attorney to work with Broomfield counsel to ensure Louisville’s interests are represented.
