Board adds sixth contractor to John Wayne Airport construction management bench after AECOM testimony

The Orange County Board of Supervisors on March 10 approved aggregate contracts for construction management and project management services at John Wayne Airport and amended the recommended bench to include a sixth firm.

Andrew Lou, senior vice president for AECOM, told the board AECOM received the second‑highest overall score in the evaluation panel and defended the fairness of staff scoring after concerns were raised by other firms and some board members. "We ask the board to reject any potential protest and approve the staff recommendation based on the fair and impartial scores," Lou said.

Several supervisors discussed whether to expand the recommended list from five to six firms to provide additional options where conflicts could arise; airport staff confirmed adding a sixth firm is operationally feasible and that aggregate contract amounts would accommodate the broader bench. Vice Chair Katrina Foley said she pulled the rate sheets and noted potential savings if additional firms were included.

A motion to add the firm referred to in the meeting as "JOA" to the bench passed and the revised item was approved. Board members emphasized staff will monitor potential conflicts of interest and that contract execution will follow county procurement policies.

The board approved the item as revised; airport staff said they will execute aggregate contracts and utilize the bench per the board’s direction.

Next steps: the airport department will finalize contract documents and proceed with bench execution and project assignments under the approved aggregate contract process.