Nashville Predators

Metro and Nashville Predators officials have agreed to try to resolve their disagreements away from the legal battlefield, Metro Sports Authority members said Wednesday.

The city and the pro hockey team will start meeting next week without lawyers present as they try to cool a dispute that has put about $28 million in taxpayer dollars at risk.

"We'll make sure we come up with a resolution that's in the best interests of the city and in the best interests of the Predators," sports authority member Lauren Brisky, who will participate in the talks, said after the authority discussed its proposed 2006-07 budget with a Metro Council committee.

"Those are not mutually exclusive."

Brisky, Vanderbilt University's chief financial officer, said she will meet with Metro Finance Director David Manning and Ed Lang, the Predators' executive vice president of finance and administration.

Metro said in May that the Predators must increase their "tangible net worth" substantially.

In case the Predators leave town early because of a contract breach, taxpayers' initial contribution to help bring them here must be protected in the form of tangible assets, according to their agreement with Metro.

The minimum tangible net worth now stands between $28 million and $29 million.

The Predators, who disagree with that contract provision despite agreeing to it years ago, fired back last week.

They claimed Metro had not met contractual obligations to buy equipment for the Gaylord Entertainment Center and pay performance bonuses owed to their sister company, Powers Management, which runs the GEC for Metro.

If a judge found Metro had breached the contract, the Predators could leave early without paying the city anything.