Hi Briana,
Thank you ever so much for visiting the Community Tool Box and Ask an Advisor, we are here to help. You pose an interesting and complex question because it brings up a lot of issues community members face in dealing with local governments, especially when there appears to be a hint of impropriety. Not to editorialize, but in our current time this is a much larger issue that seems to be endemic in all levels of government. That said, the real questions it seems to me are how do you hold the board to account in its deliberative process, how do you ensure the deliberative process is transparent to everyone in the community, and how do you raise to the surface a board member's potential conflict of interest? My short answer is, through some serious public pressure brought to bear on the board by all the impacted stakeholders; basically, demand transparency and accountability. That's the short answer, but there is a better, more thoughtful and deliberate way to go about this work so that it is sustainable (i.e., having an accountable board in perpetuity). To get the public on your side so that it has something to work with, to my way of thinking and in my experience the steps include: documenting the problem with strong and clear evidence; making sure your community, writ large, is make aware of this issue - based on the evidence - including all media outlets (social media too); and bringing together those who will be directly impacted by the new airfield (the stakeholders) and coalesce them into an advocacy group that will put consistent pressure on the board for the sake of transparency and mitigating the potential conflict of interest. As an aside, it's pretty clear to me it is a conflict of interest that can only be resolved through public pressure.. I know this is an emotional issue, but you need to stay with the facts of the matter with evidence of what the board is doing and the conflict of interest; let data drive your efforts! To get the public behind your efforts so they will take up an advocacy role you need to determine with documentation and evidence, what the impact of this new airfield will be, especially the negative impacts. For example, increased noise levels could exacerbate stress, the potential that a plane could crash into a nearby home, extra pollution from plane exhaust, etc. Do you see where I'm going with this? What you do henceforth needs to be deliberate, done in incremental steps, and backed up by evidence of the problem and the potential impacts of the problem. I can assume this will be a time sensitive effort on your part so you will need to work quickly. So, what resources are available to you in the Community Tool Box that will get you moving in the right direction? I think it best that I now provide you with links to helpful chapters and toolkits for you to review and then set a course of action accordingly. The Community Tool Box can provide you with answers and ideas, but it is up to you to determine what information is relevant to your situation and then take the bold steps necessary to resolve this issue! Chapters and Toolkits (and what to pay attention to) are listed in the order of the steps I mentioned above, in essence,: determining the extent of the problem, getting the word out, and building a coalition. I'm throwing a lot at you, I know, but I really think that the answers you seek are located therein. Again, it's not just about solving a short term problem (i.e., the airfield), it's about long-term board transparency and accountability using this issue as your catalyst.
Chapter 17 - Analyzing Community Problems and Solutions: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/analyze/analyze-community-proble... (specifically, sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7)
Toolkit 2 - Assessing Community Needs: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/assessing-community-needs-and-resources (all, plus examples)
Toolkit 3 - Analyzing Problems and Goals: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/analyzing-problems-and-goals (all, plus examples)
Chapter 6 - Communications to Promote Interest: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/promoting-interest (specifically, sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 15, and 17)
Chapter 7 - Encouraging Involvement in Community Work: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/encouraging-involv... (all, but pay particular attention to sections 7 and 8)
Toolkit 1 - Creating and Maintaining Partnerships: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/creating-and-maintaining-coalitions-and-partnerships (all, plus examples)
Chapter 4 - Getting Issues on the Public Agenda: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/getting-issues-on-the... (section 5)
Toolkit 5 - Developing Strategic and Action Plans: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/developing-strategic-and-action-plans (all, plus examples)
I do hope all this helps. I know it is a lot to digest in a relatively short amount of time, but I really think the three steps are key to resolving this issue and being able to sustain your efforts. With that Briana, thank you for visiting us here at the Community Tool Box, I wish you the very best of success, and if you have further questions do not hesitate to let us know, that's what we're here for. Best to you.
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