Councils Seek Clarification Before Eliminating Rule Requiring Black Airport Commission Appointment

Jun. 2—With the Federal Aviation Administration warning they can no longer require the appointment of a Black resident to the Airport Commission, the Lafayette City and Parish councils on Tuesday bought time to consider an alternative and seek clarification.

The City Council appoints three of the seven commissioners to the Lafayette Regional Airport Commission. Local rules mandate that one of the City Council's appointments be a Black resident. None of the other appointments has a racial requirement.

In a May 13 letter to Assistant City-Parish Attorney Todd Swartzendruber, Gene Roth, director of the National External Operations Program, FAA Office of Civil Rights, said the racial requirement violates federal nondiscrimination rules.

Despite the intent of the rule to ensure the minority community is represented on the Airport Commission, he wrote, the minority mandate may result in limiting the appointment of minority commissioners to just that one Black individual, Roth wrote.

Not following the FAA's request could cost the airport millions of federal dollars. The FAA, he wrote, awarded the airport nearly $12 million in 2019 and $47 million between 2015 and 2018. The federal grants contributed millions to construction of a new airport terminal, which is nearing completion.

"They provided $60 million in funding for the new terminal," City-Parish Attorney Greg Logan said. "The airport cannot open, cannot operate without this. We're dealing with the fed government. We're not going to defy the federal government."

Black City and Parish Councilmen on Tuesday objected to removing the minority mandate, asking fellow council members to approve an introductory ordinance complying with the FAA's request, but delaying final adoption until July 6 to seek clarification from President Joe Biden's administration. Both councils unanimously agreed. Mayor-President Josh Guillory concurred, as well.

There's still racism and unfairness occurring in the community, Parish Councilman A.B. Rubin said, and the council should make sure everyone has a voice on this and other committees. He suggested the rule be changed to require one appointment to the Airport Commission come from Council District 5, which is majority Black, but not specifying the appointee be Black.

Logan said that probably would not pass the FAA nondiscrimination rule unless each council district had an appointment to the commission.

The current Airport Commission includes two Black representatives, Samuel Pierre and Patrick Edmond Sr., both appointed in late 2019 by the former City-Parish Council.

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