Politics & Government

Briscoe Field Controversy Continues

County set to reject all proposals received in response to previous request for qualifications related to operation of the airport.

The county’s plan to privatize Briscoe Field may soon be slightly less controversial if county leaders follow consultant and staff recommendations and reject all responses received in answer to the county’s request for qualifications (RFQ) from companies interested in privatizing the Lawrenceville airport.

The move follows a report from airport consultants Infrastructure Management Group (IMG) that included a recommendation to separate the commercial service and privatization debate. 

County leaders met with IMG on Sept. 20 to discuss the report findings.

Find out what's happening in Peachtree Cornerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

During the meeting, IMG advised the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners to present a united front.

"If the county doesn't have its act together politically, bidders are not likely to get in the middle," said IMG official Steve Steckler.

Find out what's happening in Peachtree Cornerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Officials now seem ready to heed that advice.

On Tuesday, commissioners will not only consider a proposal to reject the RFQ responses, but also will vote on a resolution to establish a citizen’s advisory committee.

According to the resolution, “The Board of Commissioners believes that the creation of the Gwinnett County Airport Privatization Citizen review Committee will aid in providing transparency to the process as well as provide useful information and recommendations during the potential privatization process.”

Commissioners will also decide whether to modify the county’s request for proposal (RFP) development contract with IMG. The proposed change will expand IMG’s role by stipulating the company will participate in pre-RFP meetings, review the RFP submission and continue to consult with the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the privatization program. The contract modification will cost $42,684 and will be funded through the Airport Renewal and Extension Fund.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Peachtree Corners