Atlanta’s contracting chief on Tuesday agreed with an aggrieved airport vendor that a competitor who had been awarded a currency exchange contract at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport had not adequately proved its qualifications.

The decision by Atlanta Chief Procurement Officer Adam Smith to halt the award marks a victory for Travelex Currency Services, Inc., which had successfully sought an order from the Fulton County Superior Court freezing the contract’s finalization until the city provided documents Travelex had demanded – unsuccessfully – to file a protest of the award.

A release from City Hall said that Travelex had claimed “deficiencies in the qualifications and experience of the winning proponent and supplied substantial credible evidence in support of its allegations, which evidence was previously unknown to the City. The City then conducted an independent investigation of Travelex’s allegations, confirmed the allegations, and promptly sustained Travelex’s protest, thereby halting the award of the contract to the previously selected proponent.”

Smith, quoted in the release, said the decision “demonstrates that the City is open to hearing and acting on information relevant to contracting decisions, and that the City’s protest procedures are fair.”

Also last week, a Fulton County judge ordered the city to comply with Open Records Act requests by four other losing bidders for the highly lucrative contracts, and gave the companies extra time to file protests of their individual denials.

Contributor: Greg Land in City of Atlanta, Fulton courts | subscribe to rss |   share