After Mayor Tom Leppert quashed public comments and instructed city staff to bring more options to the city council in August regarding the Dallas Love Field Airport concession contracts, Schutze declared victory for Angela Hunt, who had told us that she had enough support to defer the item until the city council returned from its July recess. But, judging from an e-mail we received from Leppert's campaign, you'd think he was Wednesday's big winner.
I want to thank my Council colleagues who have worked hard with me to open up the bidding process for these contracts. I also want to thank all my colleagues for agreeing to step back together and be open to considering additional choices encompassing a competitive bid.
That first shout-out is clearly a special thanks to, especially, the four members of the Transportation and Environment Committee -- chair Linda Koop, vice-chair Sheffie Kadane, Ron Natinsky and Jerry Allen -- who voted on February 22 to approve contract extensions for Star Concessions and Hudson Group and then apparently had, well, a change of heart, let's say, after speaking with the mayor. Ann Margolin and Dave Neumann have also pledged their support to Leppert, giving him seven votes as he awaits Hunt's decision.
The mayor also strangely thanks the entirety of the council in his missive for "considering additional choices encompassing a competitive bid." To which we wonder if he caught wind of what happened at the explosive presser held on Tuesday afternoon by the seven minority council members. One of the themes expressed by Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway and others that day was to kindly remind Leppert and the public that the plan the minorities are endorsing (the same one approved 10-0 by the committee in February) already includes a competitive bid component as 46 percent of the food and retail space would be scheduled for bids later this year.
With the minorities seemingly unwilling to budge after three years of negotiations to get to the point they're at now, it appears as though city staff will be wasting valuable time coming up with "additional choices" since the vote in August is likely to be an up or down vote on what's currently on the table.
But, heck, it's not like staff has anything better to do.
