SANTA ANA (CNS) – Orange County supervisors Tuesday approved a contract with a new company to provide parking services at John Wayne Airport with one abstaining for lack of more information and two others complaining about the company’s communications with their offices.
The board voted 4-0 with Orange County Supervisor Doug Chaffee abstaining for Ace Parking, which will take over for LAZ Parking California.
Orange County officials recommended approval of the 5-year contract for up to $60 million with an option for a two-year term. The owner of the company pledged to the board that it would live within the budget.
Orange County Board Chairman Don Wagner criticized comments company officials made during a presentation to the board Tuesday about “external forces” attempting to change supervisors’ minds on the staff recommendation.
“When you’re winning, shut up. Don’t talk yourself out of it,” Wagner said.
“I find Ace’s approach to this where there are legitimate questions — many of which have been asked and answered — the approach from the winning contract vendor to throw mud at this board and suggest we are succumbing to external forces when it is them taking advantage of those forces strikes me as nothing else than very poor advocacy.”