TV camera denied access at meeting on airport shuttle business - KMSP-TV

Atlanta City Council members sparred over public access to their meeting on Monday. Our camera was kept out of a conference room briefing where council members discussed a controversial airport contract.

A newspaper reporter was allowed inside to cover the meeting but when FOX 5's Morse Diggs tried to get a TV camera in, he was denied. After Morse protested, the camera was allowed in.

The city hall meeting was held in part to discuss an airport ground transportation contract. FOX 5 I-Team reporter Dale Russell had done an investigation about business given to a long-time friend of mayor reed, his name is Darryl Anderson.

"Right now we have an situation where you have someone who monitored themselves as well as competitors by doing the management and oversight of the contract, so that is essentially what this gets to --  for them to rebid it," said Atlanta City Councilmember Felicia Moore.

The span of business awarded to A National, the company headed by Anderson is just too broad, Moore says. She said he should not be allowed to monitor and operate vehicles for hire as well.

Mayor Kasim Reed has rejected the notion there had been any influence from him.

"I had no role in it. There has been no documentation, no human being that suggested that I had any role," Reed said.

Some City Councilmembers claimed that Moore has been grandstanding on the issue.

"She said out of her mouth, ‘I don't want to hear that in my office. I want to hear that out before the cameras. So we now have cameras," said Councilmember CT Martin.

Moore did not have anything to say about the conclusion reached by Martin. She says she will continue with her push, saying that one of Anderson's contracts should be terminated.

They will formally take up the issue on Wednesday. The public will be invited.