Propeller CEO Wants Airport Vote Delayed

While some may be pleased to see the , Propeller Airports CEO Brett Smith is not.

Smith plans to hold a press conference Monday afternoon "to address Tuesday’s Gwinnett County Commission agenda issue on his company’s proposal to expand the Briscoe Field in order to accommodate commercial passenger flights."  

In a released statement, Smith said, “Since the District 1 Commission seat is now vacant, no important issues should be voted on by the Commission until a new District 1 Commission representative is seated. It would be incredibly unfair to have a vote on a major issue affecting the whole county if that district is not represented."

District 1 commissioner after pleading guilty to charges she accepted bribes in return for her support for a proposed real estate development. During the course of the investigation leading to the charges, Lasseter is accused of seeking an undercover agent's help in using her official position to gain personally from the proposed privatization of the Gwinnett County Airport.

to fill Lasster's vacant seat, but a date has not yet been set.

The remaining commissioners are expected to vote on the privatization issue Tuesday. The June 5 commission work session agenda lists an “approval to reject RP039-11, A Public-Private Partnership for the Lease, Operation and Improvement of Gwinnett County Airport Briscoe Field” under new business. 

In documents posted on the county website, Gwinnett County Director of Transportation Martin Conroy outlined the reasons for recommending rejection of the Propeller Airports proposal including the lack of "detail for the operation, development, and planning for Briscoe Field." Other areas of concern included insufficient information in terms of the transition plan, the community relations plan, the operations and maintenance plan and in the short- and long-term airport development.

Last week, pro-privatization group Fly Gwinnett Forward called for the issue to be placed before the voters claiming the "most appropriate way to resolve the issue surrounding Briscoe Field is for the County to release the proposal it received and for a referendum to be placed on the November Ballot by the Board of Commissioners."

Should commissioners vote on the proposal while the District 1 seat remains vacant, delay the vote until the special election is held or put the measure before the voters? Let us know in the comments.