Atlanta panel backs nearly $2 million mowing extension after airport funding rises

Atlanta’s City Utilities Committee unanimously recommended a nearly $2 million mowing-and-clearing contract extension Oct. 13, backing a substitute that raises the proposed funding by $357,826 without lengthening the six-month extension.⁠[1][2]

The five-vote recommendation is not final city approval. The packet lists full Council consideration as pending Oct. 19 at 1 p.m.⁠[1]

Councilmember Andrea L. Boone’s ordinance, 26-O-1566, would add up to $1,998,913 to the agreement with Genesis Testing Services, Inc., rather than the $1,641,087 originally proposed—an increase of about 22%. Both versions would extend the landfill and airport slope mowing-and-clearing agreement from Dec. 19, 2026, through June 18, 2027, while waiving the city’s procurement source-selection rules.⁠[1][2]

All of the increase is allocated to airport work. Airside funding would rise from $371,087 to $550,000, and landside funding from $1,230,000 to $1,408,913, both paid from the Airport Revenue Fund. The $40,000 allocation for landfill closure and post-closure care remains unchanged. These are additional funds for the amendment, not the contract’s total lifetime price.⁠[1][2]

The city presents the extension as a bridge to a new competitively procured long-term agreement. The legislation says Public Works submitted an intake form in May to prepare for that solicitation, and the chief procurement officer issued a 90-day extension in July that runs through Dec. 18. Officials say the additional six months would allow the replacement procurement to be completed without interrupting service.⁠[1]

The work supports Public Works’ seasonal mowing, clearing and site preparation, along with maintenance of slopes, runways, shops and other operational areas at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The ordinance warns that a disruption could impair Aviation’s maintenance of areas monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration. That is the city’s stated reason for continuing with the existing supplier.⁠[1]

The legislative versions reviewed describe the service-continuity rationale but do not explain why the airport allocations increased, provide the price calculation or establish how far the replacement procurement has progressed.⁠[1][2]

Even if the ordinance advances, the amendment would not bind Atlanta until it receives legal approval, is executed by the mayor or a designee, is attested by the municipal clerk and is delivered to Genesis.⁠[1]