A dispute over who represents Kenner on the board that oversees Louis Armstrong International Airport has escalated into a formal request for state review. Kenner Councilmembers Kristi McKinney and George Branigan asked Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's office to examine the city's selection process for its representative on the New Orleans Aviation Board.
McKinney and Branigan asked Murrill to investigate whether a majority of the Kenner City Council violated Louisiana's open meetings law, according to WVUE/Fox 8. The Louisiana attorney general's office said it forwarded the request to the Civil Division of the Louisiana Department of Justice, which will conduct the review under the open meetings law.
How the Fight Over the Airport Seat Began
The saga traces back to an Aug. 21 meeting, when Councilmembers Joe Stagni, Tom Willmott, Joey Lahatte and Danny Riehm passed a resolution naming three nominees for the aviation board seat. Stagni had asked for a delay until the new council was sworn in, but the resolution moved forward anyway, and Mayor Michael Glaser vetoed it that same day.
Four days later, the council's voting majority sent its own letter to New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno on Aug. 25, announcing the nominees directly to Orleans Parish. Lahatte said the council communicated its majority vote because it believed the mayor would not otherwise transmit the approved nominees, and he added that the council may communicate the result of any vote to any person or entity. Lahatte also said the public received notice and that the council voted during the Aug. 21 public meeting.
Ranshi's Selection Moves Through New Orleans
Moreno ultimately selected Barry Ranshi, a nominee who was not included on the list previously approved by Glaser and an earlier council. The Kenner City Council approved Ranshi's selection, and on Sept. 10, the New Orleans City Council's Joint Governmental Affairs-Public Works-Budget Committee unanimously approved it.
Branigan asked Murrill to study whether Ranshi's appointment was legal and questioned whether a quorum taking council action outside a public meeting could affect the validity of Moreno's nomination and appointment. He said he wanted the legality of the appointment established in writing. Branigan also separately objected to what he described as a secret letter that he said was unknown to the rest of the council and to Glaser. Glaser said the letter issue should concern every Kenner resident.
Competing Reads of a 1985 Agreement
At the center of the disagreement is a 1985 agreement between New Orleans and Kenner, which states that the New Orleans mayor allows the Kenner City Council to have input in selecting Kenner's representative on the aviation board. Stagni said the council's actions complied with Louisiana law, the Kenner City Charter and that 1985 airport expansion agreement. Jason Hughes countered that the agreement does not expressly give the Kenner mayor consent or power over the nominations, and he said traditional practice does not always equate to policy.
McKinney has said the mayor has traditionally presented three nominees for council approval or modification, while Glaser has said the board nomination process is governed by history and state law. The Kenner City Charter gives the mayor power to appoint and remove all members of boards and commissions, adding another layer to the dispute over who controls the process. Adam Swensek wrote that the 1985 agreement does not require a formal procedure for providing nominations and does not require Kenner's executive branch to approve them.
What the Aviation Board Oversees
The New Orleans Aviation Board has nine members and manages airport operations, including the airport's drainage pumps, with Kenner holding one representative seat. An official Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport lease document says the board is responsible for the airport's custody, administration and operation. Official airport agendas from 2017 show the board publicly received reports on airport activity and considered financial matters and major projects, including the North Terminal Project. The dispute over Kenner's seat is now with the Civil Division of the Louisiana Department of Justice, and no timeline for its review or findings has been released.
What the state review establishes
The Louisiana Department of Justice says an open-meetings complaint must be signed and submitted in writing, identifying the meeting date, the public body involved and providing a detailed description of what occurred, according to the department's guidance. That filing guidance does not itself establish that the Kenner council violated the law. The Louisiana Attorney General's office also says its opinions provide legal counsel to governmental entities but are advisory and do not carry the force of law, according to the office's opinions page.
