ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : A Warning Flag on Marina Deal

Nearly three years ago, we concluded that there was every good reason for the county to go out to bid on the leasing of Sunset Marina Park, one of several lucrative county marina operations.

At the time, there was enormous pressure within county government to grant the private operator, Goldrich & Kest Inc., a new 30-year deal. But there were good reasons not to rubber-stamp an extension: County inspectors had repeatedly cited maintenance deficiencies in the operation, and The Times reported that the firm had employed Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder’s son to work with county staff during lease negotiations from 1989 through mid-1990. And there was the possibility that the county might get a better deal from someone else.

What has changed since that time?

The county Harbors, Beaches and Parks Commission this week granted a new contract to G & K for a 35-year lease extension with the explanation that the company had cleaned up its act, that Wieder’s son no longer was involved and that the county could get a better low-interest state loan now to pay for improvements. But there is no escaping the conclusion that this deal doesn’t seem quite right even now.

Why should the county violate its own stated policy of allowing such contracts to expire and then putting them out for bid? With such a long lease extension, what guarantee is there for the county that the maintenance problems will not return after a couple of years good behavior? With five years to go on the current contract, why didn’t the county continue holding the operator’s feet to the fire?

And still the question: Despite some assertions to the contrary, what harm in looking to see if there was a better deal out there to be had from someone else?

The county doesn’t have many more chances to do the right thing; the Board of Supervisors can and should turn this deal down. If not, it’s time for an independent inquiry. The Orange County Grand Jury may need to look at this situation to find out exactly how and why the deal was put together the way it was.