By GARY J. GROMAN
a.k.a. The Ole Seagull
Branson as much as New York City, Chicago, Seattle Washington, Orlando already has an airport, it’s called the Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF). Low price carriers aside for a moment, does anyone know how many first time visitors flew to Branson, MO through SGF over the last ten years? Probably not as many as would have if there had been a low cost carrier, but unless an Ole Seagull misses his guess, quite a few nevertheless.
It’s probably true to say that the vast majority that fly into SGF have to rent a car, unless they are part of a bus tour, but it’s not because of the 40 minute drive to Branson from the airport it’s because there is no efficient public transportation in Branson and the fact that a car is needed to get around. Come to think of it, those flying into the new Branson Airport will be in the same situation. Unless they are on a bus tour they will have to rent a car for the same reason.
In each case, the airport will make the decisions about which vendors will be able to rent cars and provide bus, taxi, car rental, limo services from their respective airport or provide services within the airport proper. In the case of the Springfield Airport, because it is not a private, but a public airport operated with public dollars, one would think that the typical government procurement process with ample notifications would apply in obtaining vendors to provide those services and would be open to all businesses on an equal basis. Further, all final contracts would be subject to public scrutiny under the Sunshine Law.
Those same expectations would be unreasonable at the Branson Airport because it is a private airport. Just recently it was announced that Branson Gray Line will exclusively operate all taxi, shuttle, limousine, luxury coach, charter bus and ground transportation services at the Branson Airport. Did anyone notice any public notices about a bid process to provide all potential vendors an opportunity to bid on providing the services or was there discussion on why more than one vendor couldn’t provide such services? Oh, that’s right Branson Airport is a private entity and doesn’t have to comply with the Sunshine Law.
“But hold on Seagull, don’t they receive public tax dollars and if they do shouldn’t the entities giving them that money require some sort of compliance with basic procurement rules?” The truth is, at this point, although the airport has not received tax dollars directly, they have and will continue to receive the benefit of marketing dollars allegedly to market the availability of low coast air fares to Branson. That benefit is expected to be in the $100s of thousand dollar range.
In addition, once passengers start flying in on commercial air flights, the city of Branson, thanks to the commitment made by the previous administration in the spring of 2006, is obligated to pay $8.24 per passenger for the vast majority of the passengers arriving at the airport on such flights. There is a yearly cap of $2 million, the agreement is for 30 years and could be worth a total of $60 million over a period of 30 years. No such dollars have been spent so far because no passengers have flown in yet. Interestingly, there is no restriction on what the airport may use the money for.
Is it really a privately owned and operated airport when it is receiving up to $2 million in government funds directly and the direct benefit of hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax payer financed marketing? Should the city revisit the contract in view of other information on how the airport will be raising revenue and operating? Wow, one can only wonder how much stress it would take off some local attractions like Silver Dollar City, Sight and Sound Theatre, or the hundreds of other shows, attractions and businesses if they got $8.24 cents for each person that came to Branson because of them.
