Meetings of the Shreveport Airport Authority have traditionally been as exciting as watching paint dry.
Or grass grow.
All that changed last year.
Then airport director Henry Thompson stirred up a hornet's nest with hangar owners that has yet to be resolved.
The “standard” ground lease provided an automatic right of renewal. Based on this guarantee, very expensive hangars were constructed at both the downtown and regional airports.
Thompson unilaterally decided to change this pivotal term. Once leases expired hangar owners received new leases that omitted the right of renewal.
The brouhaha that ensued has been ugly---and for good reason.
Thompson has since left for bluer skies.
But the mess he started has yet to be resolved.
In fact it is getting even messier.
Today (Thursday) at 10 am the airport board will review the latest version of the hangar lease.
This version provides that the lease is revocable at any time that a public use is found to exist by the city council.
Add all this to the effort by Mayor Perkins to replace the 3 long serving board members.
Even council members have commented about the unkept appearance of the downtown airport.
Other tenants have complained about the lack of assistance by the airport staff—and anti-business attitudes.
Maybe the 5 board members should visit the downtown airport and talk to the tenants.
John came to Shreveport in January of 1977 when he was transferred to Barksdale AFB.
He’s been active in Shreveport politics since deciding to make Shreveport his home.
John practiced law for 40 years and he now monitors local politics. He regularly attends Shreveport City Council and Caddo Parish Commission meetings.
John is published weekly in The Inquisitor, bi-monthly in The Forum News, and frequently in the Shreveport Times.
He enjoys addressing civic groups on local government issues and elections.