Original off airport agreement signed between county and several off-airport companies.
Nov. 30, 2004
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April 15, 2005
County receives FBO proposals from JetAway Aviation and Black Canyon Jet Center.
Aug. 15, 2005
The BOCC vote 3-0 to begin negotiations with Black Canyon Jet Center to run the fixed-based operator at the Montrose Regional Airport.
Dec. 5, 2005
The County Commissioners award fixed-based operations to Black Canyon Jet Center.
Dec. 20, 2005
Steve Stuhmer and his attorneys present the county with a proposal for a second fixed-based operator at the airport. The commissioners table the proposal until the middle of January.
Jan. 3, 2006
Steve Stuhmer and his affiliated companies file lawsuits in district court and a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Jan. 4, 2006
Black Canyon Jet Center takes control of the fixed-based operations.
Feb. 10, 2006
District Court Judge Dennis Friedrich issues temporary restraining order against JetAway after alleged fueling violation.
Feb. 17, 2006
District Court Judge James Schum upholds the temporary restraining order after a two-day hearing.
Feb. 22, 2006
County continues hearing on alleged violations off JetAway’s off-airport agreement.
March 20, 2006
Verbal confrontation breaks out between Steve Stuhmer and Commissioner Allan Belt at the regular commissioners’ meeting. The board tables all items concerning JetAway until August.
March 21, 2006
Black Canyon Jet Center files a motion to intervene in the lawsuit between the county and JetAway and files a Part 16 complaint with the FAA.
July 7, 2006
Judge Schum rules against JetAway in a case filed in June in which it sought to force the county to allow it to complete construction of a new ramp and aircraft parking facility.
Nov. 9, 2006
Judge Schum denies JetAway’s request to continue construction on the new ramp and parking facility, but the ruling will allow construction to continue if JetAway meets the county’s requirements.
Nov. 10, 2006
The Federal Aviation Administration calls JetAway “unreasonable” and denies its complaint against Montrose County.
March 30, 2007
Representatives from Montrose County and JetAway Aviation participate in a mediation with the Federal Aviation Administration and continue negotiations for a settlement.
May 30, 2007
Montrose County residents, Joe Goecke, Al Head and Mike Gordon, file a petition to recall County Commissioner Bill Patterson. State Rep. Ray Rose publicizes the recall petition during a County Republican Party luncheon.
May 30, 2007
Patterson calls a petition to recall him a “smear campaign.” He also says Republican representative Ray Rose’s announcement of the petition was politically motivated, a charge Rose denies.
June 2007
Soon after the petition circulators begin gathering signatures, the Daily Press and county clerk’s office receive letters questioning the tactics used to gather signatures for the recall effort.
June 13, 2007
Rep. Rose holds press conference and says media have publicized recall efforts against Bill Patterson while ignoring the substance of petitioners’ claims. He also refers to documentation (legal opinion) from a Denver law firm that represents one of the petitioners.
June 13, 2007
Patterson says the accusations raised by those seeking his recall can be easily disproved and responds to those mentioned in Rose’s press conference.
June 21, 2007
One of the three petitioners, Al Head, sits down with the Daily Press to discuss the recall. He says what turned into a recall effort began as an airport issue.
June 27, 2007
Patterson holds a public forum to address issues swirling around the recall process. Patterson alleges the men were working on behalf of Steve Stuhmer and JetAway Aviation. Head, Gordon, Goecke, Rose and Stuhmer do not attend.
— — —
The chair of the Montrose Democratic Party, Randy See, says he had proof recall petition circulators violated election law. See alleges a man circulating a petition circulator introduced himself as “Brent,” but that the petition’s affidavit had already been signed by a woman with a different name. In order to document the petition was provided to him, See signs it, but fills out paperwork to have his name removed.
June 28, 2007
Rose likens the controversy swirling over the recall to “war,” but the majority of other Montrose Republican Central Committee members voted to issue a statement of neutrality; Rose and his wife Donna voted no.
July 12, 2007
A local real estate company, Kienholz-Miller & Co., with ties to JetAway Aviation, made a $14,300 contribution to the Patterson Recall Committee, Inc.
July 20, 2007
An independent, third-party review by the La Plata District Attorney’s office determines that there is “no legal basis” for Patterson’s recall.
July 31, 2007
Petitions containing 5,583 signatures are submitted by Al Head. Some 3,950 valid signatures are needed to effect a recall election.
Aug. 15, 2007
County clerk Fran Tipton-Long rejects all but 2,270 signatures were as invalid.
Sept. 7, 2007
Al Head protests Long’s disqualification of 1,488 signatures.
Sept. 27, 2007
Long denies a protest from Al Head, Mike Gordon, Joe Goecke, citing the falsity of the circulators’ affidavits, according to state statute, because of residency requirements.
Oct. 5, 2007
Al Head files a lawsuit against Montrose County and Long seeking reinstatement of the signatures. Head’s lawsuit also claims Long was in breach of her duties when at the Sept. 27 protest hearing, she declined to rule on the constitutionality of the arguments raised by Head.
Oct. 30, 2007
Patterson files a complaint with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office over the recall committee’s non-disclosure of payment of the petition circulators. Head said at the protest hearing that the petitioners were paid, but he didn’t know how or by whom.
Nov. 6, 2007
County Commissioner Allan Belt meets with Stuhmer and JetAway attorneys in Denver to further mediate a resolution. In exchange for a favorable ruling by the county, JetAway would swap land, indemnify the county against further litigation by Black Canyon Jet Partners, the recipient of the fixed-based operations contract, and would recruit another aircraft company to Montrose. The negotiation is published in the Daily Press. The county pledges an end to mediation in a letter sent to all parties Dec. 6.
Nov. 21, 2007
Judge James Schum rules that JetAway is in contempt of a restraining order brought by Black Canyon Jet Center over misleading advertising in regional and national magazines. JetAway receives a fine of $50,000 (suspended), is ordered to remove the incorrect advertising and ordered to pay legal fees.
Dec. 7, 2007
County residents at a commissioners meeting charge that JetAway and the Montrose Economic Development Authority acted in collusion to benefit JetAway. They also called for the resignation of its executive director, Sandy Head, citing conflict of interest. (Sandy Head and Al Head are married.) Sherry Larson, MEDC executive committee chairman, denies the collusion. In November, mayor David White called for a financial audit of MEDC, at MEDC’s expense. The audit later comes back clean. The city of Montrose funds MEDC with $80,000; the county, $2,000. Commissioner Belt and mayor White are members of the MEDC board, representing their government entities.
Dec. 12, 2007
JetAway Aviation files an antitrust lawsuit in federal court against Montrose County, saying the county commissioners violated its civil rights, and that the commissioners conspired to give its rival, Black Canyon Jet Center, a monopoly on the FBO operations.
Dec. 17, 2007
Suspicions regarding Montrose Economic Development Corporation’s accountability made for a contentious Montrose County Commissioners meeting. MEDC leaders say rumors of bias are false. Following the city’s request for an audit report the organization provided its own data and is undergoing an audit.
Dec. 20, 2007
JetAway Aviation places a lien, amount unknown, against property it claims to own in Montrose. If JetAway Aviation defaults on repaying its lender, the public trustee of Montrose County can be directed to sell the property — meaning members of the Girdner family could be first in line for any of those benefits. JetAway, a limited liability company, along with another LLC, One Creative Place, executed a deed of trust that identified its lenders as Paul and Michael Girdner of Boise, Idaho.
Jan. 11, 2008
The county hires top-dollar attorneys to defend it in a anti-trust suit brought by JetAway Aviation. The Montrose County Commissioners vote during a special meeting to secure the services of Robert Youle and Larry Theis, both of whom have broad experience in anti-trust litigation.
Jan. 22, 2008
Alleging Montrose County unreasonably denied its bid to become a fixed-base operator, JetAway Aviation files a new Part 16 complaint. It also calls for an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Jan. 30, 2008
Montrose County commissioners met to consider an offer tendered by Jet Center Partners. JCP offered to withdraw its Part 16 complaint and rely on the county to address its allegations of discrimination concerning the through the fence agreement.
Feb. 4, 2008
County commissioners officially sign off on a settlement agreement with Jet Center Partners. JCP is to withdraw its Part 16 complaint pending with the Federal Aviation Administration, as well as its state court litigation.
Feb. 11, 2008
Montrose County calls JetAway Aviation’s anti trust suit “groundless and frivolous.” The county seeks the complaint’s dismissal, along with the award of attorney’s fees.
Feb. 14, 2008
The recall committee is fined nearly $10,000 by Denver Administrative Law Judge Michelle Norcross. Norcross found Head in violation of the Fair Campaign Practices Act by not disclosing contributions and expenditures. An appeal is later filed.
Feb. 28, 2008
Senior Judge Richard Matsch rules JCP’s Kevin Egan and Jim Rumble will not be dismissed from the anti trust suit.
March 13, 2008
Recall efforts against Patterson end after the recall committee dismisses the suit against Long.
March 22, 2008
Judge denies JetAway request to continue upcoming trial. JetAway’s original counsel withdrew from the case; the judge said it should have anticipated that and other issues and said JetAway was only trying for a delay.
March 28, 2008
Recall committee appeals Norcross’ decision just days before March 31 deadline.
April 3, 2008
JetAway files motions to dismiss its state lawsuits against the county.
Pilots file affidavits on behalf of JCP, alleging JetAway tricked them into believing it sold fuel.
April 14, 2008
JetAway demands Judge Schum be recused from a May hearing set on JCP’s allegations it’s violated existing court orders concerning fuel sales advertising. It denounces as false the pilots’ affidavits.
May 5, 2008
JetAway/county trial begins in district court. Trial concludes about two weeks later.
June, 2008
JetAway seeks to reopen trial evidence, claiming the county fabricated the airport layout plan presented at trial. It said the ALP differed from one accepted by the FAA in 2007; the county said that ALP was sent to the FAA in error, without the requisite county commissioner approval.
Brent Wallace petitions onto the ballot for the county commission race. Wallace, a JetAway employee who helped circulate recall petitions, is running as an independent against Patterson and Republican candidate Ron Henderson.
July 1, 2008
Local trial ruling handed down. JetAway allowed to call itself an FBO, but its land lease is terminated and the court found minimum standards apply off-airport as well as on. JetAway was given 30 days to apply for an access permit and did so via letter.
July 21, 2008
JetAway withdraws its motion to reopen evidence, but tells the court it still believes the county fabricated evidence.
Aug. 7, 2008
JetAway tenders settlement offer in pending anti trust and Part 16 complaint cases. Under the agreement, it would deed property to the county in order to be considered on-airport. JetAway asks for an answer by Sept. 15; county considers offer.
Aug. 8, 2008
Henderson calls press conference/issues statement criticizing Patterson for “dragging his heels” on settlement offer tendered the day before. Henderson admits to not reading the offer before calling the conference, but denies county spokeswoman Ana Mostaccero’s accusations of a “political ploy.”
Aug. 27, 2008
Public discussion of settlement proposal set for 6 p.m. at Montrose Pavilion.
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