Two Atlanta city council members are questioning Mayor Kasim Reed’s unusual veto of an airport contract after it had been approved by the council.
The contract for healthcare services at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was approved by the council March 2 after vetting by the airport’s procurement office.
Days later Reed vetoed the deal with Caduceus Occupational Medicine, saying too few companies bid.
Councilwomen Mary Norwood and Felicia Moore are criticizing the move, and Norwood this week launched a failed effort to override the veto.
Norwood said Reed has previously rubber-stamped contracts to sole bidders, including a high-profile airport advertising contract to Clear Channel, as well as to the only developer to bid on redeveloping Underground Atlanta, a deal Reed brokered.
“When we ask companies to apply to do business with the City of Atlanta we have an obligation to make sure the process they engage in is fair, transparent and will encourage other companies to continue to want to engage,” Norwood said. “To change the rules after the contract is awarded, I don’t believe is the right thing for us to do.”
Moore said there are “many examples” of Reed’s administration pressing council to approve contracts with one respondent.
“I think the biggest concern I have here … is what can the public trust us to do? They expect some level of consistency,” she said.
Reed said the reason for the veto is simple: “competitiveness.”
“We had one vendor related to healthcare in the busiest airport in the world,” he said. “Our thinking is we wanted to make sure we have robust competition.”
The mayor said it isn’t fair to compare airport contracts to deals such as Underground Atlanta, a long-troubled downtown property.
“[The airport is] the most important, most vibrant asset that we have. We’re not going to treat that asset, to the extent that we’re able, as we would treat a situation that involves distress,” Reed said. He also said the Clear Channel bid will produce “a record breaking amount for advertising at the airport, so that’s certainly in the public’s interest.”
Caduceus officials declined comment for this story. Caduceus has also performed pre-employment physicals and drug testing for the city.
Hartsfield-Jackson previously had AeroClinic locations where travelers could get physicals, acute care and other services, but those clinics closed in recent years.
Now airport officials will restart a bidding process that started last July, when they sought to attract a new health care clinic operator.
Caduceus was one of two companies that submitted proposals; the other was deemed “nonresponsive.”
