Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper came to Durango on Monday and signed into law Senate Bill 168. It was a major step toward successfully updating and upgrading the Durango-La Plata County Airport.
Not that SB 168 does anything directly to the airport. The bill allows counties and cities to enter into authorities with jurisdictions in other states. And with that it opens a number of possibilities for moving forward with the airport.
SB 168 was sponsored by state Sen. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, and state Rep. J. Paul Brown, R-Ignacio, at the behest of the La Plata County commissioners. And in addition to carrying the needed legislation, Roberts and Brown must have done things right. The bill passed the House with a single dissenting vote and the Senate unanimously.
New Mexico already allows its constituent jurisdictions to partner with other entities across state lines. So, with the signing into law of SB 168, the stage is set for the creation of some sort of regional authority to fund an expanded or new airport terminal.
That makes sense on several levels. For starters, Durango-La Plata County Airport has truly become a regional airport and is now the fifth-busiest airport in the state. (To answer the obvious question, in descending order – Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Aspen.)
Not only does DRO serve all of Southwest Colorado from Wolf Creek west, but it draws passengers from as far off as Utah. And, as anyone can tell from the license plates in the parking lot, it also serves much of northern New Mexico.
A regional airport district could also go a long way toward making any associated tax more politically palatable. As La Plata County Commissioner Julie Westendorff has said, “A common request we have heard from La Plata County residents is to make sure that users of the airport help pay for the airport.” With almost a quarter of the passengers boarding at Durango coming from San Juan County, New Mexico, the ability to structure a partnership across the state line could be crucial.
Besides, it is not as if San Juan County gets nothing out it. Those New Mexico tags at the airport largely represent gas and oil companies and associated industries. And all the same economic benefits that Durango derives from good air service also benefit Farmington and northern New Mexico.
Establishing a regional authority to support and expand Durango-La Plata County Airport would also help cement its status as a regional resource. That would not guarantee better or increased service, but such recognition and the stability it suggests could only help attract more passengers and with that more flights. It could also ensure a sustainable, long-term ability to keep up with terminal maintenance and improvements. That too, could only help with passenger satisfaction.
What such a regional, cross-border partnership might actually look like will have to be worked out. Any such talks would of necessity include not only the city of Durango and La Plata County, but also whatever parts of New Mexico might be involved, and perhaps Archuleta and Montezuma counties as well.
There are countless other details to be addressed before work on the airport could begin. But that is why we have local officials and lawyers. And with the enactment of SB 168, they now have greatly expanded options to work with.
