Fairhope Airport Authority Records Show Hangar Lease Went to Board Member’s Company
Fairhope Airport Authority minutes show a 30-year hangar ground lease was awarded in November 2015 to a company whose principals include board member Ray Hix and the city's municipal judge.
FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Fairhope Airport Authority in November 2015 awarded a 30-year ground lease for a second commercial hangar on plat 2 to a company whose principals include an Authority board member and Fairhope’s municipal judge, according to the Authority’s records.
The Bid Process
The Authority issued a request for proposals on Sept. 21, 2015, with a deadline of Oct. 13, 2015. Three bids were opened on Oct. 20, 2015.
According to the Authority’s October minutes, “Vince Boothe and Jack Burrell were appointed to a committee to review the bids and make a recommendation for awarding the bid at the Authority’s meeting in November.” Burrell is also president of the Fairhope City Council.
The November Vote
At the Nov. 17, 2015, meeting, board member Ray Hix, who also serves on the Airport Operations Committee, recused himself and left the room before any discussion of the committee’s recommendation, the minutes show. Burrell then reviewed the material he and Boothe had used to select a bidder, followed by an open question-and-answer discussion.
Burrell moved to award the bid to Hix/Snedecker Companies, doing business as Mid-Bay Air LLC, subject to approval by the Alabama Ethics Commission. Boothe seconded the motion, which passed unanimously, according to the minutes.
According to the records, the company’s principals include Fairhope’s municipal judge.
Lease Status
A memorandum of lease was recorded in December 2015. As of November 2016, construction of the hangar had not begun.
The Airport Authority’s board of directors oversees airport contracts, leases and general business. The records do not show any finding of wrongdoing by any party.
