One of the most contentious issues to strike the Dallas City Council has today caused more controversy.
The council didn’t reach a decision regarding two questionable contracts at Love Field, which means small business owners hoping to bid on Love Field concession contracts will have to wait even longer.
Mayor Tom Leppert ordered staff to review the no bid contracts currently in place at Love Field and return with recommendations at the council’s first meeting in August.
Opening up the bid process and allowing anyone interested in running a concession to submit a proposal is one option.
Two businesses with strong political ties currently control concessions inside the airport.
“The only fair way to conduct business is to have an open bid process,” said owner of Two Podners Restaurant in Dallas, Fred Conwright.
“If you open it up to bid you are going to have other people bid more than what's on the table because they want a piece of that pie, and that's good for Dallas,” continued Conwright, who wants an opportunity to expand into the airport.
Meantime, the council is racially divided on how to proceed with contracts that will soon become available inside the new terminal at Love Field.
Most minority council members support the status quo, while Mayor Leppert is leading the charge to consider opening all concessions space at the airport for bid, granting the current contracts as written and coming up with new options.
