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Freeport council debates airport operator contract after public objections over process and candidate
Summary
The Freeport City Council considered an airport operations agreement for Alberta's Airport and heard public commenters who said the RFQ timeline, candidate availability and contract terms raised fairness and safety concerns. The council did not approve the recommended contract at the meeting.
The Freeport City Council considered a contract to make a private operator the fixed-base operator and airport manager for Alberta's Airport, but did not adopt the recommended agreement after public comment raised questions about the procurement process and candidate suitability.
The city manager recommended the council authorize “negotiation and execution of an operator contract in the form set forth in the RFQ with Jeff Monica” and said Monica’s bid was the lowest of three respondents, at $157,500 per year. Manager Boyer told the council the applications were opened at City Hall and reviewed by staff and council representatives.
The recommendation prompted several public comments questioning the process and the nominee. Longtime airport volunteer Angie Janssen, who said she has “over 28 years of dedicated service to that airport,” told the council: “The individuals being considered for the airport manager position is an airline pilot. That raises significant concerns regarding the level of commitment and availability required for effective airport management.” She said an airport manager must be available during emergencies and must interact directly with federal investigators such as the FAA and NTSB.
Another speaker, John Stabin, who said he applied for the position and has worked for the airport “for years,” told the council he was given 18 days to respond to the RFQ after receiving it late. Stabin said, “I received the RFQ on August 13 and was required to respond by September 1. 18 days to create an LLC, get the bonds, and other requirements. Only possible if you had prior knowledge this was happening.” He urged the council to review the final contract before voting because, he said, the web-drafted version differed from what would be signed.
Council discussion focused on operational coverage, contract length and the procurement steps used to select the recommended operator. An alderman asked whether the operator must be on site for the posted hours or may use a designee; a staff member replied that a designee could be available during posted hours. Council members also questioned the term structure: the draft contract would automatically renew yearly unless either party pursued renegotiation.
A motion to approve the contract was moved and seconded during the meeting. Following roll call votes and discussion, the resolution to authorize the manager to negotiate and execute the contract failed to receive the votes required for adoption at the meeting.
What it means: The council’s nonapproval leaves the current management arrangement in place until the city brings a new or revised contract back for formal action. Council members asked staff to provide further detail on the final contract language, operational coverage, and any discrepancies between RFQ requirements and the draft agreement before the council takes another vote.
Provenance: Public comments on the airport manager item and the manager’s recommendation were on the meeting record; excerpts of the RFQ-timing and manager recommendation were read into the record and discussed by staff and members of the public.
