City council renews contract for airport manager without delay

The Fairfield City Council turned down a request to delay renewing its contract and consider a new applicant for the municipal airport manager?s position Monday evening.

The council unanimously voted to renew its management contract and fixed base operator lease with Robert Lyons.

?I represent a client who?s an experienced fixed base operator who is interested in bidding on both the airport management contract and the fixed base operator lease,? said local attorney Jay Marcus. He requested the city postpone renewing the contract and lease to give his client an opportunity to be considered and offer his suggestions for the airport?s management.

Tim McMahon, who serves on the airport committee, said Lyons? contract and lease were considered at a public meeting, for which legal notice was given, in November, and no objections were heard at that time.

?Robert has worked with us for 14 years. He?s done a great job. He?s worked with us on the expansion of the airport. He?s taken care of all the pilots. He?s done a hangar expansion,? McMahon said. ?We believe his professionalism accords the right to move forward. With a unanimous recommendation, I do hope you follow both the process and our recommendation.?

Airport committee chairman Bob Glocke said the airport has only ever advertised for the position when the committee was interested in finding a new operator. Mayor Ed Malloy said the manager?s contract is most similar to the city administrator?s contract, which also is generally renewed every three years without advertising the position.

Councilman John Revolinski said a little competition is always appreciated, but Marcus? client?s request came too late in the process.

?I don?t see how we can deviate from the process,? councilman Myron Gookin said. ?I think we have to move forward.?

Also Monday, the council set the public hearing on the city?s 2010-2011 budget for March 8.

The council approved a State Revolving Fund loan application seeking around $1.8 million to install a sludge storage tank at the city?s wastewater facility.

Councilman Daryn Hamilton explained the tank, which will be located just northeast of the plant, will be big enough to hold a year?s worth of biosolids, the sludge material left behind after all the hazardous materials have been removed from the wastewater. The tank will allow the city to store the material until it can be sold for use as fertilizer, Hamilton said.

For the complete article, see the Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.