8 applicants vie for airport concession deal

Adrienne Packer

Friday, Jan. 29, 1999 | 11:50 a.m.

A County Commission debate earlier this week about how to eliminate politics from the process of awarding lucrative contracts at McCarran International Airport was timely.

In March, the board will choose between eight applicants vying for the five-year master concessionaire contract for indoor advertising at the airport.

Requests for proposals for the concessionaire -- which oversees all the advertising area at the airport and leases space to businesses -- were due into the Aviation Department earlier this month.

Joyce and Associates has held onto the contract since 1988, when it was awarded the five-year contract and subsequently took advantage of renewal options. Its term will expire next month.

"Eight agencies have submitted proposals," said Debbie Millett, spokeswoman for the airport. "McCarran staff will do a synopsis of information for submission to the Clark County Board of Commissioners."

Millett said in 1996, the gross revenue for the advertising concessionaire was $5.3 million; in 1997, it was $6.7 million and through July 1998, the income was $4.8 million.

It was the airport contract awarding process that landed Clark County commissioners in trouble last year when lists of concessionaire applicants they supported included names of friends.

Whether the county can keep politics out of the advertising concessionaire contract will be determined in March, as three of the eight applicants have influential partners or are acquaintances of board members.

Robin Joyce, president of Joyce and Associates, is the son of legendary campaign manager and Nevada lobbyist James Joyce. The elder Joyce was president of Joyce and Martin Advertising in Las Vegas.

DRGM (Dunn Reber Glenn Marz) Advertising -- the second largest advertising firm in Las Vegas -- is another applicant. Partner Rod Reber's son, Roddy Reber, is the husband of Gay Reber.

Commissioner Lance Malone was found in violation of state ethics laws for voting to award his wife's longtime friend, Gay Reber, two airport concessions in the newly opened D terminal.

Also on the list of applicants is Forsythe, Francis and Ernaut. Pete Ernaut, a former Reno assemblyman and partner in the company, was Gov. Kenny Guinn's campaign manager and was recently named chief of staff. On the County Commission's Tuesday agenda is an item that recognizes a name change for the company, from Bayer Brown Forsythe & Ernaut Advertising, to Alliance Corp. doing business as F/F/E Associates.

The other concessionaire applicants include Blazers of Portland, Ore., and the Las Vegas firms Color Reflections, Telareservations, Photo Finish and ESCN Inc.