At a meeting of the Commerce and Travel Committee (date not specified), staff from Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) presented a report on lessons learned from prior public‑private partnership (P3) projects and recommended changes to procurement, contract language and interagency coordination. Committee members voted to receive and file the report.

The report identified gaps in a 2017 memorandum of understanding (MOU) that the airport and partner agencies used for earlier P3 work and attributed some schedule delays and cost impacts to those gaps. LAWA staff told the committee they updated the memorandums and incorporated new procedures intended to reduce disputes, speed approvals and give bidders clearer information up front.

LAWA staff described several specific recommendations: requiring clearer, up‑front project requirements and standards; increasing use of intermediate design milestones (for example, 30/60/90 percent design stages) so contractors can price work more accurately; performing more on‑site investigations and using technology before solicitation; and setting formal dispute‑resolution forums and contract provisions to allow work to continue while disagreements are resolved. Staff said those contract mechanisms are intended to minimize construction delays driven by unresolved claims.

Staff also described operational changes to improve interagency coordination: regular multiagency sessions with designers and contractors, a dedicated executive oversight committee to escalate and resolve issues, and funding to support continuity of staff assigned to projects. LAWA staff told the committee the water department and other city agencies are paying for some full‑time staff to maintain continuity on major projects.

On procurement timing, staff said relying on a 60 percent design basis in some contracts can accelerate construction because it lets work proceed with defined design criteria rather than waiting for a fully finished design, provided the specifications and standards are clearly set up front.

LAWA staff gave a status update on active work packages, saying five packages are expected to reach about 90 percent design by the end of the year, which staff said improves confidence that projects will stay on schedule and within budget.

Committee members asked about risk allocation, dispute definitions and how the new language will change the scoring and selection of proposers. Staff answered that the revised documents include updated scoring language that favors local experience and stronger interdepartmental collaboration in evaluation criteria, and that the contracts include mechanisms for continuing work while disputes are being processed.

Actions and votes at the meeting: the committee voted to receive and file agenda item 0.1 (LAWA report). The meeting also approved a mayoral appointment (agenda item 0.2) and approved items 3–10 by consent.

Ending: LAWA staff said they will continue to refine draft contract language and to coordinate with city departments and contractors as projects move forward; the committee accepted the report for the record and directed no further immediate action in the meeting.