Two Nashville airport authority boards met Wednesday afternoon as the battle over who controls the Nashville International Airport and the smaller John Tune Airport continues.
The original board, appointed by Mayor John Cooper, met at the Metro Courthouse, while the new board, appointed by state leaders, was to meet at BNA.
Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority CEO Doug Kreulen and staff have recognized the authority of the state-appointed board, which went into effect at the beginning of July. The Federal Aviation Authority has said it will recognize the old board until a court rules on Nashville’s lawsuit against the state.
"The Airport Authority is required to follow state law as well as federal regulations and that is what the Airport Authority is doing,” the authority said in a statement Tuesday.
Cooper joined the old MNAA board at its meeting as a sign of support.
“I stand ready to support you in any way that I can,” Cooper told the board, adding: “Until we get a definitive ruling from the court, it's important that this board continue to meet.”
A three-judge state court panel will meet next week to consider arguments by Metro Nashville, the state and the airport authority, now represented by outside counsel and intervening in the case as a defendant alongside the state. The original board voted Wednesday to seek outside counsel of its own, though Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz offered his support of their efforts.
“We are working around the clock to prepare those final papers,” Dietz said of his office’s work ahead of next week’s court hearing. He will be responsible for hiring outside counsel for the original board, he said.
The original board was without members Bobby Joslin and Jimmy Granbery, who were appointed by state leaders to the new board. Their acceptance of the appointments, Metro contends, is tantamount to a resignation from the old board.
“I'm especially thankful to the board members today who have chosen to stand up and be counted to honor the oath that you took when you joined this board,” original board member Andrew Byrd said at the Wednesday meeting.
