NAPLES, Fla. — The Naples City Council voted Wednesday to rescind a previously passed resolution that would have given the council more control over airport projects, following threats of a lawsuit from airport advocates.
Friends of the Naples Airport, or FONA, welcomed the decision.
“It’s safety, it’s economic impact — these are not things to be messed with lightly. And we are very pleased they chose to do this route,” said Christel Johnson, a FONA member.
WATCH AS COUNCIL DECIDES TO WALK BACK A PREVIOUSLY APPROVED RESOLUTION:
FONA filed a pre-suit notice in September, arguing the council’s June resolution violated a new state law, Senate Bill 180, and gave the council too much authority over projects run by the Naples Airport Authority.
John Allen, another FONA member, said the group was prepared for a legal battle.
“It’s not surprising. We had a very strong case and they had a very weak case. We’re happy we’re not wasting money litigating something as senseless as this,” he said.
City leaders said they pulled the measure back to avoid a lawsuit but plan to revisit the rules later to clarify how much authority the council has.
The Old Naples Association, a group that has pushed for more city control over the airport, declined to comment.
Tensions also flared during the council meeting, with members debating whether the council had exerted too much pressure on the airport in the past, including pushing them to reject grants.
“You just said City Council didn’t have anything to do with that. He just read the minutes what you said is not in alignment with what he just read from the minutes,” Councilman Kramer said during the discussion.
“Let me clarify… they do not have to take our recommendations — and they did not,” Mayor Heitmann responded.
The attorney for FONA said even with the council backing down, the group expects the fight over airport control to continue. Separately, state lawmakers are considering limiting the council’s power to appoint board members at the airport.
The council said it will meet with airport leaders in the coming weeks to better clarify its role.
