Reed Signs Airport Contracts Legislation, Releases Evaluation Committee Names

Mayor Kasim Reed has signed airport concessions legilslation and released the names of the committee members who evaluated the contracts, the AJC reported.

The Atlanta City Council this week approved legislation that will award $3 billion in contractrs to a new lineup of 150 vendors at the airport, including 126 food and beverage outlets and 24 retailers. The contracts included businesses for the new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal, which opens this spring.

Buckhead council members Howard Shook, District 7, and Yolanda Adrean, District 8, were among 12 votes in favor, while Felicia Moore of District 9 was among three who opposed the bill. , which received opposition from Common Cause of Georgia. Adrean called for the lengthy council session to gather information on the contracts, Creative Loafing said.

Reed Thursday released the names of the city employees who served on the airport concessions evaluation committees. The administration said it was the first time the names had been released

“I directed my administration to run an open, ethical and fair concessions procurement process for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal,”  Reed said in a staement. “The release of the names of the evaluation committee members is one of several steps we took over the past year to move the city toward greater transparency around the city’s procurement process.”

The announcement from Reed said the administration for the first time also conducted for background checks on concessions evaluation panel members to rule out conflicts of interest or other issues. The Department of Aviation employees were selected by Aviation General Manager Louis Miller because of their expertise and experience, the annoucement said.

Here are the city employees who evaluated the contracts before the council vote:

• Patricia Armes – Concessions Accounting Manager

• Paul Brown - Concessions Director

• Shelley Lamar - Planning Manager

• Paul Michael Leaf Jr. -  Principal Architect

• Robert Lewis III -  Concessions Compliance Manager

• William Murphy – Land and Property Utilization Manager

• Robert Palmer - Director of Maintenance

• Willie Self – Senior Audit Manager

• David Sellers - Director of Properties

• Douglas Strachan - Creative Innovations Manager

• Hugh Jason Terreri – Airport Contract Administrator

• David Vogt - Art Program Manager

• Harland Chris Warner –  Operations Manager

• Chiquetta West - Management Analyst

• Demetria Wideman - Concession Marketing Manager.

The administration noted after he council voite that "many of the new restaurants are among Atlanta’s most famous eateries, including The Varsity, Shane’s Rib Shack, Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint and the Pecan. Some of the recommended retail locations include familiar and new high-end shops such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Omega, Bvlgari, Swarovski and Tommy Hilfiger."