The City of Savannah owns and manages various real property assets that may be leased or otherwise made available for public, commercial, or other beneficial uses. The ability to effectively negotiate and structure agreements for the use, operation, and management of these properties provides opportunities to maximize the value of City-owned assets, encourage private and public partnerships, and support the City's broader operational and economic development objectives.

Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 36-37-6, municipalities may, through charter provisions, lease or enter into contracts for valuable consideration providing for the use, operation, or management of municipal real property. The proposed Charter amendment would expressly establish this authority within the City's Charter and provide the City with additional flexibility in structuring such agreements.

Specifically, the proposed amendment would authorize the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah to lease or enter into contracts for valuable consideration for the use, operation, or management, in whole or in part, of any municipally owned or managed real property. This authority would allow the City to utilize a Request for Proposals process, when appropriate.

Approval