Cities suing for airport noise relief for homes have submitted a private settlement offer as a judge requested.
Minneapolis, Richfield and Eagan submitted their proposal Monday to lawyers for the Metropolitan Airports Commission and Northwest Airlines. Details are being withheld pending potential further negotiations. Spokesman Pat Hogan said commission officials are reviewing the offer.
Hennepin County District Judge Stephen Aldrich, who held a trial on the issue last winter, directed the cities this summer to make a settlement offer. He has indicated that if no settlement is reached, he will rule on their suit by about Aug. 24.
The cities sued in 2005 for additional noise abatement from the commission and Northwest. That is also the goal of a class-action suit filed separately by seven residents, but the two challenges are based on different legal claims.
"This is going to be a tough case to settle so people shouldn't get too excited about it," said Assistant Minneapolis City Attorney Corey Conover. He said it's reasonable to assume that the city's undisclosed offer seeks more noise relief than granted in a proposed settlement in the class-action lawsuit.
"We think that we have offered a fair proposal, a fair compromise, which is going to protect homes and neighborhoods, which has been our goal from the beginning," said Jeremy Hanson, a spokesman for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.
The announced class-action settlement proposal would provide up to $65 million in noise-relief work to 4,400 homeowners. Those homes would get air-conditioning, if they lack it, and up to $1,750 to pay for other noise-relief measures. Rybak has said that sum covers barely half of the homes covered by the suit and that none would get a full noise-insulation package.
Carolyn Anderson, an attorney for the class-action plaintiffs, said details of that proposed settlement still are being worked on.
Steve Brandt - 612-673-4438
