February 24th, 2022 Rally and Airport Board Meeting

Written statements provided by the speakers:

Jillian Neece

My name is Jillian Neece and I was born and raised in the Rockford area, and I have a bachelor’s degree in plant biology and experience researching prairies and bumblebees. I am here to comment on the lack of transparency and cooperation by the Great Rockford Airport Authority throughout the entire planning and construction process of this expansion. How much time, money and resources have been wasted on lawyers, postponed construction, and additional security around the prairie? By not providing clear expansion plans during the brief public comment period in 2019 or throughout the entire expansion project, you poorly represented the interests of the community that you serve here in Winnebago County.

As the Board of Commissioners, your job is to oversee the management of the airport. As the locally appointed oversight body, what is your purpose if not to provide accountability for the management team? It is frankly bad governance to have such an incredible lack of transparency and open communication. I’ll remind you that any destruction of Bell Bowl Prairie before the consultation ends is against the law. This violation of the law would fall on your shoulders, and you have an obligation to the constituents you serve to make sure that this does not happen.

As a government entity supported by our tax dollars, you have a duty to the people of the Rockford area to enter a dialogue with us about the planned expansion and the subsequent destruction of Bell Bowl Prairie. Why is it easier for me to have a discussion with state and federal agencies like the FAA, IDNR, and USFWS, than it is to receive a response from my locally appointed airport officials? You are not communicating with the people of Rockford or the almost 90,000 people who have signed a petition to save this prairie, you are not being transparent with us. You are causing unnecessary division among the people of the Rockford area. It is time to do the job you were appointed to do, and hold airport officials accountable for this lack of public communication. There is no need for this community division and conflict that has been created by the unwillingness of the airport management team to have an open and honest dialogue in public with the citizens of Winnebago County.