DELAWARE, Ohio — The City of Delaware, Ohio has partnered with Delaware County to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking responses from consultants experienced in the field of airport management and organizational structure. The purpose of the RFP is to explore the feasibility of forming a Regional Airport Authority.
DLZ, a central Ohio general aviation facility, is home to approximately 100 based aircraft and handles an estimated 40,000 operations per year. The City oversees all aspects of the airport, which is strategically located to serve the region, including commercial centers in Delaware, Dublin, Westerville, Worthington and Powell.
In January 2020, the City completed an Airport Strategic Business Plan, followed by a White Paper entitled Delaware Municipal Airport and Delaware County: A Partnership Opportunity in April 2022. Both documents are attached to the RFP.
The consultant selected through the RFP process will be required to complete several tasks, including interviewing key City and County personnel to gain a full understanding of questions and concerns regarding the formation of an Airport Authority. The consultant will also be responsible for reviewing current city airport operations, management, and governance structure, as well as current airport budget, funding mechanisms, and strategic plans.
Furthermore, the consultant will establish recommendations identifying the merits and concerns associated with establishing an Airport Authority as the governance structure. Specific areas to be addressed include financial condition assessment and cost-benefit analysis of the airport under the governance of an Authority verses municipal control, the makeup (membership) of the Authority as a governance structure, and options for the provision of daily management and oversight of airport operations.
Proposals for consulting services should be limited to no more than 10 pages in length and include information such as project understanding and approach, project history, and a minimum of three references consisting of clients with similar characteristics and requirements to the City of Delaware. Interviews will be conducted with each firm in a one-hour time slot during the week of May 8, 2023.
The City and County will select the best-qualified firm based on evaluation criteria such as experience, quality of proposal, and understanding of project scope and approach. The selected consultant will be required to submit a final report summarizing their findings and recommendations within four (4) months of issuance of a Notice to Proceed with work.