Mr. Francis will replace Deborah Ale Flint who left Oakland Airport in June 2015 to become CEO of Los Angeles World Airports. Since then, the Oakland position has been filled by an interim appointee.

The Port of Oakland (which operates Oakland Airport) says in a release that Mr. Francis will have a staff of 216 individuals at the Bay Area's second-busiest airport was was selected from more than 100 candidates in a nationwide search. Oakland's release doesn't say exactly when he applied for the job [we're seeking that information from Oakland and will add it here as received.]

[Scroll down for further.]

Mr. Francis will be working under Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle...who exited the Port of Long Beach after controversies surfaced on issues including the location of a new Port of LB HQ; a deadlock resulted in which Mayor Foster and a Council majority fired one Harbor Commissioner, and another resigned, prompting shipping industry consternation over what had previously been mainly placid Port matters.

Mr. Francis was hired by City Manager Pat West as LB Airport Director in November 2014 and began work in January 2015 following the departure of Mario Rodriguez to head Indianapolis International Airport in early 2014 (LGB had an interim manager during much of 2014.) Internal LB Airport documents obtained under the CA Public Records Act by LBREPORT.com after Mr. Rodriguez's departure show that during much of 2013, Mr. Rodriguez worked with JetBlue to explore the possible addition of a federal inspection (customs) facility desired by JetBlue. (Airport management's actions included ordering two third-party provided studies, an initial one on costs, a second other on feasibility.) The actions were pursued by Airport management without voted discussion or approval by the City Council but Mr. Rodriguez informed then-Mayor Foster and all Councilmembers in two summary memos in the second half of 2013 of the actions. No elected official(s) disclosed the developments publicly entering the 2014 election cycle, effectively keeping the issue out of 2014 elections for a new Council majority and a new Mayor.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The City conducted a job search for Mr. Rodriguez's successor that initially included an advertisement with verbiage indicating the job would include [paraphrase] support for making LGB an international airport. City management said the verbiage was an error and publicly revised it. In early 2015, City Manager Pat West hired Mr. Francis, who had previously overseen turning Palm Springs Airport into an international facility.

In June 2015, the City Council voted 6-3 (Austin, Uranga, Supernaw dissenting) to conduct a third (more expansive) feasibility study on on adding a federal customs facility. In January 2016, the Council voted with the same 6-3 split to authorize spending $300,000+ in Airport revenue to fund the study.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In fall 2015, Mr. Francis directed that LB Airport add nine large aircraft flight slots on grounds that cumulative measured airport noise had decreased (with quieter jets) to a level where, LB's Airport ordinance required making nine additional slots available (a legal position supported by the City Attorney's office.)

The action led Southwest Airlines, a direct competitor to the Airport's major tenant JetBlue, to request all nine slots, of which it the Airport awarded it four slots and gave JetBlue three (and two other slots given to other carriers.) Southwest and JetBlue both fly to international locations from other airports.

In early 2015. former LB Airport Advisory Commission member (now City Prosecutor) Doug Haubert testified at the Airport Advisory Commission that allowing a federal custom\s facility could invite risks not currently faced by to LB's protective Airport ordinance. The ordinance is considered an extremely valuable city asset, since it protects the city from exposure to flights with no nighttime curfew basically at all hours on all runways. Mr. Haubert noted that since LB couldn't restrict a federal customs facility to use by any one operator, it would effectively invite an entirely new category of operators (cargo and passenger) to seek LB flight slots that might not be available under LB's Airport ordinance.

Mr. Haubert cautioned that this could lead to a scenario in which one carrier might feel competitively threatened by LB operations of another, prompting it to seek flight slots that were filled and thus no longer available, thereby effectively incentivizing a challenge to LB's Airport ordinance...in which the outcome could be the loss of the Airport ordinance with permanent damaging results for the City and its neighborhoods.

Advertisement

Advertisement

LB's release says Mr. Francis' last day with the city will be March 30, 2016 and the City "will conduct a nationwide search for his successor, considering both internal and external candidates who choose to apply. Upon his departure, the City Manager will appoint an Interim Director to lead LGB until the selection process is complete."