BURBANK : Airport Renews Parking Contract

The Burbank Airport Authority has voted unanimously to renew a contract with a Culver City firm that has operated a valet parking service at the airport for nearly two years.

In voting to award the one-year contract to Valet Parking Service Inc., the authority rejected bids from three other firms, including two that had offered to operate the service at a lower cost, leaving the airport with a greater profit.

Airport spokeswoman Elly Mixsell said the authority members felt that based on its proposal, Valet Parking Service would provide better service to the customer than the two lower bidders.

In its bid, the firm proposed to keep $3.75 for every customer who pays $15 per day for valet parking. The remainder would go to the airport. Five Star Parking of Los Angeles proposed to charge only $2.98 per car, and APCOA Inc. of Cleveland offered to charge $3.48 per car.

Currently, Valet Parking Service charges the airport $5 per customer.

The new contract, which was approved Monday, is expected to generate more than $200,000 a year for the airport, officials said.