The debate over the fate of Briscoe Field turned ugly Tuesday night as Gwinnett County Commission members accused each other of backroom dealing and stalling tactics.
When it was over, commissioners voted 3-2 to direct a consultant to seek proposals from private firms interested in buying or selling the airport near Lawrenceville. No one seemed to walk away happy, least of all several dozen opponents of commercial flights at Briscoe Field who attended the meeting.
“I’m disappointed. I’m speechless. Breathless,” one resident told commissioners after the debate. “I don’t know what else to say.”
Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash set the tone for a dramatic evening just by showing up. She said she canceled a Minnesota vacation to attend Tuesday night’s meeting after learning that a majority of commissioners had directed the county staff to seek proposals from the companies without her knowledge.
“From our discussion of being open and transparent about these kind of decisions, I just couldn’t believe that’s the way it was going to be handled,” Nash told her colleagues.
The three commissioners -- Mike Beaudreau, Lynette Howard and Shirley Lasseter -- said the commission had already decided to move forward with the requests by an identical 3-2 vote in May. They accused a minority of commissioners of stalling.
“There’s certain people that believe in death by a thousand cuts,” Beaudreau said.
Tuesday night’s unscheduled vote and debate underscores just how divisive the fate of Briscoe Field has become among commissioners and the general public.
Last year Gwinnett solicited qualifications from firms interested in buying or leasing Briscoe Field and received three responses. One of the firms has said it wants to bring commercial passenger flights to the airport, which currently serves small aircraft and corporate jets.
A majority of commissioners say they haven’t decided whether it makes sense to privatize the airport, let alone whether commercial flights should be involved. They say they want specific proposals so they have something concrete to debate.
However, the prospect of commercial flights has galvanized the debate. Supporters say the flights could create jobs and provide a convenient alternative to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Opponents fear increased noise and decreasing property values near the airport.
Commissioners also are divided. In May they voted 3-2 to seek specific proposals from the three firms. Now commissioners disagree about whether that was the final vote required to move forward.
Beaudreau, Howard and Lasseter say the issue was settled. Nash said the motion approved in May required another commission vote to formally seek proposals.
After learning that the commission majority had directed the staff to seek proposals, Nash said she canceled her vacation and showed up at Tuesday night's meeting. She rebuked the majority of her colleagues for directing the staff to seek proposals without consulting her.
“I am asking for that level of respect,” Nash said. “The least you can do is deal with it openly and transparently.”
“With all due respect, nobody on this board was trying to blindside anybody,” Beaudreau countered. “The board already voted publicly, with a light shining on us.”
He compared opponents to children who lost a kickball game wanting a “do-over.”
In the end, that’s what the commission did. They voted 3-2 to ask the consultant to draft a request for proposals on a timeline that could see the county pick a private operator by the end of the year. They also voted to hold a public discussion with the consultant in the next few weeks.
About the Author
