NEWS - Ports & Transportation

By Lou Phelps, SBJ Staff

Jan 9, 2012 – At the Savannah Airport Commission’s January meeting last week on January 4, board members agreed to recommend two new capital contracts for continued improvements and updating of the airport terminal.  

The Commission awarded a New Rental Car Counters project to National Office Systems of Savannah, owned by Scott Center, in the amount of $580,501.00.  The company is listed as a Woman-owned, local company, according to the Airport Commission’s agenda, but that is in error, according to Center who owns Center Office Systems Inc. dba National Office Systems.  Patrick Graham, executive director of the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, agrees there was an agenda error.

The project consists of furnishing all labor and materials to provide and install new modular counters for all the rental car booths at the Airport, as detailed on plans developed by Greenline Architecture of Savannah owned by Monica Mastrianni, under a separated contract,. The budgeted amount for the project was only $300,000, aneterd it was not termed a 'construction project.'

That designation - a construction or a non-construction project, determines whether local officials can use Local Preference options in steering a local contract toward local companies, and locally owned minority and women-owned companies.

It now goes to the Savannah City Council for a final vote.  The Savannah Airport has its own purchasing staff that oversees all bids for Airport projects and management, though the bids are open, checked and legally controlled by the City of Savannah’s Purchasing Dept.

Initially, only the shells of the new counter units for each rental car company were going to be replaced by the Airport, with each rental car company purchasing their own inserts, but instead the Airport Commission decided to build the total project. “What should have happened is that we should have gone back to the board for a budget amendment,” said Graham, “but we neglected to do that.”

The money to cover the cost is covered by fees paid by the rental car companies to the Airport, fees which are kept in a separate Customer Facilities Fund account for projects such as this and the outside canopies in the rental car areas that were completed a few years ago. The rental car companies pay $3.00 per contract into the facilities fund.  The project is primarily for equipment, and was not classified as a ‘construction’ project. 

The following bids were received:

(E) National Office Systems, Savannah, GA. for $580,501.00        RECOMMEND          

(D) Command & Control Environments, Grapevine, TX for $591,716.16

(D) Technical Innovations, Norcross, GA. for $601,367.00

(D) Dabbs-Williams Gen’l Contractors, Statesboro, GA. for $628,000.00

(D) Tommy Gibson Builders, Inc., Warner Robins, GA. for $725,000.00

In another bid, Commissioners awarded a bid for renovations in the airport terminal’s Savannah Square area to Tommy Gibson Builders, Inc. of Warner Robbins, GA. He underbid Pioneer Construction, Inc. of Savannah, owned by Linda Jaeger, by $211.00 if the 3% Local Preference for a local and minority owned company could have been taken into consideration.  The project includes furnishing all labor and materials to replace carpet tiles, install Mosaic tile walls at restroom entrances, and reupholstering of acoustical panels. The Commission’s budgeted amount for the project was $90,000.  Three bids came in under budget.  The four companies bid included:

(D) Tommy Gibson Builders, Inc., Warner Robins, GA for $70,500       RECOMMENDED

(E)  Pioneer Construction, Inc., Savannah, GA. for $72,823

(D)  Keith Ray Construction, Inc.. Savannah, GA for $89,700

(D) Dabbs-Williams Gen’l Contractors, Statesboro, GA for $109,000

Pioneer Construction, however, was the successful bidder on two other recent projects at the airport in the vehicle maintenance area worth more than $230,000, according to Jaeger.

In other business, the Commission amended its rental agreement with HMS Host at Terminal Services Facility for Suite 300 of the Terminal Services Facility on Gulfstream Road, which the company has rented since February of 2008. They have been charged the same rent, $19.63 per square foot per year including utilities, as the other tenants. However, Host recently installed new coolers in the freight bay, which have significantly impacted the monthly electric utility charges. Staff prepared an analysis and determined that the average monthly increase in utility charges after the installation of the coolers was approximately $750. The Commission approved an amendment to their lease which increases Host’s rent obligation by $750 per month.

And, the Commission agreed to an early termination of its Land Lease Agreement with Quality Self-Service Fuels, Inc. The original land lease agreement for the self-service aviation fuel facility was signed in September of 2002. Since then, the facility has changed hands several times, with Mr. John Ubele acquiring it on January 1, 2007. Over the last two years, Mr. Ubele has experienced difficulties maintaining the facility as necessary, requiring staff to write numerous letters of default, according to the Commission’s public agenda. “Mr. Ubele is currently behind in his monthly fixed rent payments in the total amount of $2,800.92 for the months of July – December 2011. He has indicated that he wishes the contract to be permanently terminated,” it states. The agreement’s current term ends July 31, 2013.

Commissioners also discussed installation of Lottery Vending Machines with the Georgia Lottery. With the closure of the concession operated as The Oasis, the airport’s staff constructed an indented space along the concourse for the installation of automated retail machines (vending). A proposal from the Georgia Lottery describes their current vending machine model as well as an updated model that is expected to be released late in 2012. Staff is considering installation of at least two lottery machines in the terminal building, with one in the designated concourse space and another in the Amusement Center in Savannah Square. The Commission agreed to authorize the staff to negotiate a contract for installation of Lottery machines.

Editor’s Note: (A) Local minority, 3% preference; (B) Local, Non-minority, 2% preference;  (C) Non-local minority. 0% preference. (E) Indicates local, Woman owned, 3% preference; (F) Indicates non-local woman owned 0% preference; (D) Indicates non-local non-minority.