Naples council rescinds ranked-ballot rule, debates airport appointments and noise policy

Mayor Theresa Heitman and the Naples City Council spent the morning and early afternoon discussing how the city picks appointees for the Naples Airport Authority and ultimately approved new commissioners after changing the selection method.

Council discussion began when staff presented item 11B, to appoint two commissioners to the Naples Airport Authority. Several council members said the rank-ordered-ballot process adopted in 2020 had become politicized and left some residents feeling the outcome was engineered; others said rescinding the resolution risked introducing ad-hoc bargaining. City Attorney Matthew McConnell told council the resolution is in effect but can be rescinded by council motion and vote and described an alternative method the charter officers had prepared to ensure an orderly selection.

Council members made a series of points about the airport's future and the role of appointees. Vice Mayor Hutchison and others urged choosing candidates who would push for safety improvements and noise mitigation measures; several speakers referenced the Part 150 noise study and asked whether new appointees would prioritize implementation. Council member Kramer emphasized the need to consider alternatives to the rank-order method to restore public confidence; Council member Christman summarized the 2020 history and said the rank-order approach had merit but had become tainted in recent appointments.

Council voted to rescind the 2020 resolution and agreed on a process by consensus: councilors would discuss candidates in public, then each would submit a written list of up to three names (unchecked, not ranked) to the clerk. Staff would tabulate the names and, if necessary, conduct subsequent rounds limited to the top candidates. That process produced an initial set of three names that received the required support and a second, follow-up ballot to select two commissioners for separate terms.

After the ballots and a brief motion-and-reconsideration sequence, council approved appointments for the two seats sitting before it. Michelle Arnold was appointed to a four-year term beginning Dec. 1, 2025; council subsequently approved Ralph Alberto for the other seat (motions and roll call votes are on the public record). The council also discussed Michael McCabe as an additional candidate during the tabulation process.

Public speakers and council members repeatedly linked appointments to broader airport policy: several council members and speakers emphasized the need for appointees who will press the Naples Airport Authority and the FAA on noise mitigation and safety, including looking at volume-reduction strategies and the Part 150 recommendations. Applicants' qualifications were debated publicly, with councilors weighing aviation experience, industry contacts and temperament for collaborative problem-solving.

The council recorded motions and roll-call votes on the record; the clerk tallied ballots and read the tabulation in public before the final motions.

The council's procedural change and appointments conclude an episode of heightened attention over how advisory-board seats are chosen and which appointees will be charged with addressing the airport's noise and safety concerns. The City Attorney indicated he and staff will draft any revised procedural language for future appointment cycles.

Next steps: the newly appointed Naples Airport Authority members will assume the roles for the terms specified by the motions; related follow-up and potential policy work are expected to return to council or be coordinated with staff and the authority as needed.