Midland City Council approved the purchase of over $200,000 worth of furniture and equipment for the international air and space port terminal building. Councilmember Jack Ladd moved to approve the item. The decision was made in an effort to update the facilities and improve comfort for visitors.
Starting with the procurement process, according to the City Council meeting minutes, the purchase will be made through the Interlocal Purchasing System and Omnia Partners. Supplies will be purchased from Sewco, Inc., DBA Officewise Furniture & Equipment of Midland, Texas.
Moving on to details about these purchases, a letter from Airport Director Justine Ruff breaks down the purchase into three separate transactions: one for $54,573.56, one for $78,274.45, and one for $71,079.32. A pricing quote from Officewise stated that the items being purchased include an array of side tables and coffee tables, dozens of new chairs for waiting areas, and over 40 new office chairs. The city also must pay for the type of fabric that will be used to upholster these items, which totals around $9,000.
Diving deeper into reasons behind this substantial investment, Ruff also mentioned in her letter that the current furniture in the airport is over 25 years old and is in need of replacement. Areas that will receive new furniture include the Airport Administration Lobby, the Media/Conference Room, the Airport Operations Control Center, Airport Police, and individual offices.