Airport concessions vote expected today... is a deal in the works?

Today’s should be a big one at City Hall.

The Atlanta City Council today is expected to vote on which restaurants and retail shops should be allowed to conduct business in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The concessions program, which is worth billions of dollars to the lucky vendors who win spots in the world’s busiest airport, has been accused by groups such as Common Cause of Georgia and the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation of not being transparent. They’ve also pointed out that contributors to Mayor Kasim Reed’s mayoral campaign were among those who have been recommended for restaurant and retail slots by a top-secret team of evaluators. (David Pendered has a great timeline about the procurement process if you’re looking to get caught up.)

Common Cause has asked the Atlanta City Council to delay the vote to allow more time for review and public comment. The Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation this morning said in a press release that the group was “planning legal action against the City if Council votes in the airport vendor contracts that are on today’s agenda.” Councilmembers Michael Julian Bond and Felicia Moore have expressed concern over the rush to approve the vendors and argued for more time.

The mayor has defended the procurement process — considered the largest in the United States — and maintains he played no role in the vetting or selection of airport vendors. In a statement to Lori Geary of WSB, the mayor’s office said that other 2009 mayoral candidates received campaign contributions from airport vendors and that other top Reed supporters didn’t win airport contracts.